Functioning: Apple A8 Benchmarks

Apple'southward 2nd generation 64-bit A8 processor and M8 movement coprocessor power both of the new iPhones. The CPU was built past Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company using a 20-nanometer manufacturing process, which translates into a xv-17 percent smaller footprint versus last twelvemonth's A7. As a effect, the company claims the new iPhones are up to 25 pct faster when handling CPU-intensive tasks and upward to 50 per centum faster with graphics.

Apple has never been one to delve into too much technical detail, although based on data gathered from multiple benchmarking programs as well as a detailed chip analysis from Chipworks, nosotros know the A8 is a dual-core scrap clocked at a modest 1.4GHz with 1GB of organisation retentiveness in tow. Graphics processing duties are handled past a quad-core PowerVR GX6450 GPU.

That certainly doesn't audio impressive on paper when you consider the height Android phones are shipping with quad-cadre processors rapidly approaching the 3GHz barrier, oft with up to 3GB of RAM on tap. But we accept to retrieve that because Apple builds both the hardware and software nether one roof, their platform is incredibly efficient.

Ane of the best ways I can think to depict it is to employ a auto analogy. A well-designed, lightweight sports car with a solid suspension, large brakes and mucilaginous tires tin zip around a track with its small engine just every bit speedily as a car with a much larger engine that lacks the other upgrades. The heavier machine is technically more powerful but the lighter auto can compete with less horsepower considering it'south optimized for the job.

It's precisely why the iPhone'due south dual-core scrap and 1GB of RAM run cervix and neck with some of the fastest Android phones currently on the market. And every bit evident in our benchmark results, it comes out ahead more often than not.

One of the big questions I had coming into this review was whether or not the A8 would be able bulldoze the iPhone 6 Plus' larger screen. A higher pixel count means more than processing power is needed to render images on the screen. Smoothen animations and transitions have been a staple of iOS and something that before Android phones often struggled with.

Based on my extensive testing and use of the iPhone 6 Plus over the past week, I can study that the A8 is indeed upwards to the task. Animations, scrolling and transitions are all just as smooth on the phablet-sized telephone as they have been on previous iPhone hardware.

As is often the case when stepping up from a previous generation telephone, existent-globe speed differences are difficult to spot. In side-by-side testing with an iPhone 5s, I found very little discernible difference when doing common tasks like swiping up to clear out recently used apps, opening apps and simply navigating the Bone.