| Cult of Mac

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 5 has the same performance as fast as 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.