Geekbench

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on Geekbench:

First benchmarks back up Apple claims of blazing-fast M3 chip speeds [Updated]

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Apple's M3 chip
In early benchmark testing, Apple's new M3 chip lives up to expectations for speed.
Photo: Apple

New benchmark tests support claims Apple made about the impressive speed of the new M3 chip unveiled Monday in the Scary Fast event.

Geekbench found the new entry-level M3 chip, which appears initially in a new 24-inch iMac and one of three MacBook Pro models, performs as expected compared to M1 and M2 versions.

Update: And after the initial results for M3 came in, further tests showed M3 Max is 42% faster than M2 Max, or about as fast as M2 Ultra. That means a new top-shelf MacBook Pro is as fast as the Mac Pro released earlier this year in June, which Apple said at the time was the “most powerful chip ever created for a personal computer.” That claim lasted about five months.

iOS update fails to deliver promised iPhone battery improvement

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iOS update does not deliver promised iPhone battery improvement
While some iPhone models saw an increase in battery life with iOS 15.4.1, most did not.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Benchmark testing of nine different iPhone models shows that less than half of them experienced any improvement to battery life from the recent iOS 15.4.1 update, despite Apple describing that as a major feature of the new version. More of the handsets saw a decrease instead.

On the devices affected, the drop in battery life is generally small, but it’s nevertheless likely to leave some iPhone users holding off on the update. Which is unfortunate, as iOS 15.4.1 also closes a security hole that Apple says has been actively exploited.

iPad Air 5 is every bit as fast as iPad Pro

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iPad Air and iPad Pro
iPad Pro does not have better performance than iPad Air 5.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Early benchmark scores for the soon-to-be-released iPad Air 5 show the tablet has approximately the same performance as the iPad Pro models that cost much more.

That’s not a surprise considering the new Air has the same M1 processor as the Pro.

iPhone SE 3 matches iPhone 13 in early benchmark tests

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iPhone SE 3 benchmark tests
Small but mighty.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new third-generation iPhone SE, which starts at just $429, is just as impressive as iPhone 13 in early benchmark tests.

That won’t be too surprising to most, given that both handsets feature Apple’s latest A15 Bionic processor and the same 4GB of RAM. But it all but confirms that the chipset isn’t held back at all — despite iPhone SE’s smaller battery.

Early benchmarks show crazy performance gains for Apple M1 Max

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2021 MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips
Up to 181% faster graphics than the last 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Photo: Apple

Buying a new MacBook Pro with a high-end M1 Max chip? You can expect crazy gains in both processing and graphics performance — no matter which Apple notebook you’re upgrading from, according to early benchmarks.

The M1 Max blows all the MacBook chips that came before it — not just those made by Intel, but even Apple’s own M1 — right out of the water, with up to 181% faster graphics than the previous 16-inch MacBook Pro.

M1 iMac can’t match fastest Intel iMacs in early benchmarks

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24-inch iMac with M1 processor released in 2021
The M1 processor in the 24-inch iMac is faster than most Intel iMacs. But not all.
Photo: Apple

The first benchmark scores for the upcoming 24-inch M1 iMac are out, and the all-in-one desktop is just as fast as the laptops and desktop released in 2020 running this processor. And no faster.

That makes the new model 24% quicker than the 21-inch iMac it’s replacing. But it’s slower than the 27-inch iMac introduced in 2020 with a top-tier Intel processor.

2021 iPad Pro beats every Intel MacBook in early benchmark tests

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2021 iPad Pro with M1 processor
The M1 processor in the 2021 iPad Pro has the tablet running faster than any Intel-based MacBook ever.
Photo: Apple

The first iPad Pro with an M-series processor is apparently going to be as fast as many had hoped. Benchmark tests for the upcoming tablet show that it’s almost as speedy as the Macs released in late 2020. And faster than any Intel-based MacBook ever.

The 2021 model is more than 50% faster than the iPad Pro Apple introduced in 2020.

M1 Mac mini faster than all Intel Macs in single-core benchmarks

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New M1 Mac mini gaming
Now that's fast!
Photo: Apple

Apple’s newest Mac mini, its first desktop with an Apple Silicon M1 chip, is substantially faster than all Intel-based Macs in single-core tests, according to new Geekbench benchmarks.

The only machines that come close to matching its performance are the newest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro — also powered by M1 chipsets. The 27-inch iMac lags far behind in the same tests.

M1 MacBook Air blows away predecessors, every other CPU in benchmarks

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MacBook Air power
Apple's fastest MacBook yet.
Photo: Apple

Early benchmark results for the new M1 MacBook Air have begun surfacing online, and boy are they impressive. Not only does Apple’s newest ultraportable blow away its predecessors, but its M1 chip outperforms every other mobile CPU on the market.

That’s even more astounding when you remember the new MacBook Air has a completely fan-less design that stays silent no matter how hard you push it.

How 2020’s 13-inch MacBook Pro benchmarks stack up against Apple’s other laptops

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macBookpro
Looks stunning. But is it worth the upgrade versus last year's model?
Photo: Apple

Want to know how the new 13-inch MacBook Pro stacks up against its predecessor or other MacBooks on the market? A new report by Japanese language Apple blog Macotakara compares the Geekbench CPU scores for various MacBooks.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro, announced earlier this week, has a Geekbench score of 4565 and 1093 for multi and single core scores for its Intel Core i7 variant. Meanwhile, the lower spec Intel Core i5-sporting MacBook Pro model scores 4489 and 1066. That’s only marginally better than 2019 13-inch models.

Although, if pure processing power is what you’re after, you’re better off opting for the 16-inch MacBook Pro Apple debuted last year!

Early Mac Pro benchmarks won’t blow you away

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Mac Pro cheese grater
You might be better off with iMac Pro instead.
Photo: Apple

Early benchmarks for the 2019 Mac Pro have now started surfacing online — and they might be a disappointment for some.

The scores achieved by entry-level and mid-tier machines are similar to those you will get from a 2017 iMac Pro. In fact, iMac Pro and even the budget Mac mini achieve significantly higher scores in some tests.

Newest 13-inch MacBook Pro brings unbelievable speed boost

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2019 MacBook Pro Fortnite
It's not clear what is causing the problem.
Photo: Apple

Apple promised its newest 13-inch MacBook Pro would deliver faster performance than the previous model. But we weren’t expecting to be up to 83% faster!

That’s the kind of speed increase you’re getting with the latest model, according to early benchmarks. It gives existing owners a massive reason to upgrade — even if they have no interest in the Touch Bar.

Latest MacBook Pro blows away its predecessors

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2019 MacBook Pro
The 2019 MacBook Pro is the first with an 8-core processor, giving it better performance running complex software.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s marketing for the recently-announced 2019 MacBook Pro emphasizes how much faster it than last year’s model, and now a benchmark score may confirm that this macOS laptop is almost 30 percent speedier.

Latest iMac blows away its predecessors

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New iMacs should get people revved up.
iMacs with new Intel processors provide plenty of performance.
Photo: Apple

Apple unveiled improved iMac versions last week, and what’s apparently an early benchmark score indicates that a top-tier model will be up to 75 percent faster than its predecessor in everyday use.

That’s not surprising, given the newer Intel processor.

Apple’s newest iPads are just as fast as the latest iPhones

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The complete iPad lineup now includes Apple Pencil support, best-in-class performance, advanced displays and all-day battery life, Apple says.
Apple's new iPads are a much-needed upgrade.
Photo: Apple

The first Geekbench report on Apple’s new iPads suggests that at least one of the new tablets has a benchmark score of 4,806 and multi-core performance of 11,607. Those numbers put it roughly on a par with Apple’s iPhone XS Max.

Although it lags (understandably) behind the pricier and more power iPad Pro, it’s certainly promising news.

We finally know all the 2018 iPad Pro specs

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2018 iPad Pro Smart Keyboard
Processor speed and RAM complete the list of 2018 iPad Pro specs.
Photo: Apple

The last specifications of the new iPad Pro models just recently came to light. Apple unveiled this model at the end of last month but there are some very important  technical details this company never reveals about iOS devices: processor speed and RAM. It’s up to the public to find them out.

On top of that, a technical glitch in a popular benchmarking app kept the exact speed of the tablet unknown to most even after it was in customer hands. But no more.

2018 iPad Pro runs faster than some MacBook Pros

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One of these computers is faster than the other. Which it is will surprise you.
One of these computers is faster than the other. Which it is will surprise you.
Photo: Apple

Benchmark scores for the 2018 iPad Pro announced this week show that this tablet is faster than the 13-inch MacBook Pro released this summer.

Unfortunately, these same benchmark tests don’t clear up the some other mysteries about the new iPads.

iPhone XS Max whips Samsung Galaxy Note 9 in speed tests

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Apple wins benchmark and real-world comparisons of the performance of the iPhone XS Max and the Galaxy Note 9.
Apple wins benchmark and real-world comparisons of the performance of the iPhone XS Max and the Galaxy Note 9.
Screenshot: SuperSaf TV

Both Samsung and Apple offer really large smartphones fo those who want to carry a miniature tablet around with them everywhere. Anyone trying to decide between the iPhone XS Max and the Galaxy Note 9 should consider which one offers better performance.

In several head-to-head tests, the iPhone solidly beats its Android-based rival. That’s in both benchmarks and real-world use.

Benchmarks prove iOS 12 is Apple’s fastest yet

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iOS 12
Apple promised a speed increase from iOS 12. How well did it deliver?
Photo: Apple

Since the day Apple first unveiled iOS 12 back in June the company has been saying that this new version of its mobile operating system be faster than any of its predecessors. Now that it’s out, we can test that promise.

We put a iPhone X running iOS 12 through benchmark tests and compared the results to this device running iOS 11. Spoiler: you’re going to like the results.

Geekbench scores reveal RAM upgrades in new iPhones

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iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
The iPhone XS Max is fast, but the smaller XS might be even quicker. The iPhone XR isn't too bad, either.
Photo: Apple

The new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR haven’t been released yet, but a handful of Geekbench scores are already available. 

These reveal more than just how fast the devices run (spoiler: very fast) but also how much RAM is in each model.