iPhone 12 leak reveals killer A14 Bionic performance — bad news for Note 20

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A new leak shows just how powerful the iPhone 12's A14 Bionic chip could be

iPhone 12
(Image credit: EverythingApplePro)
  • A new leak says that the A14 Bionic chip in the new iPhone 12 will provide a dramatic boost in performance compared to the iPhone 11.
  • The A14 Bionic will reportedly boast a 40% percent increase in CPU performance and and 50% better graphics performance.
  • The new 5nm process should also make the iPhone 12 more efficient, improving battery live.  

The A14 Bionic chip in the upcoming iPhone 12 promises a strong upgrade over the A13 Bionic chip found in the iPhone 11, with a significant CPU and GPU boost. 

According to regular tech leaker Komiya on Twitter, the A14 will deliver a 40 percent increase in CPU performance over the A13 Bionic, and a 50 percent hike in GPU performance. That would blow away the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and all Android phones.

In a previous A14 Bionic leak, we learned that Apple's first 5nm chip (reportedly manufactured by TSMC) would provide 15% faster performance. So these new performance claims mean that the A14 is shaping up to be a significant upgrade over its predecessor. The previous leak also stated that the new A14 chip will be 30% more efficient, which should save on battery life.

Just bear in mind that Komiya didn't note where they are getting their performance metrics from — we could assume an insider source — so it's worth taking these claims with a degree of skepticism. That being said, such a performance boost could be possible given that Apple is moving from a 7nm process to 5nm. 

Currently, the A13 Bionic is one of the most powerful chips available in smartphones. Early performance leaks for the A14 chip so far have it slated to beat Samsung's Galaxy S20 Ultra, with its Snapdragon 865 SoC.  

The Snapdragon 865 Plus found in the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, delivers a modest improvement over its non-plus variant, with a 10% clock speed boost and 10% faster graphics. But Apple’s chip would still outpace the best Qualcomm has to offer.

The Asus ROG Phone 3, which packs a Snapdragon 865 Plus chip and 16GB of RAM, scored 3,393 on the multi-core portion of the Geekbench 5 benchmark. The iPhone 11 Pro scored 3,509. So the iPhone 12 should dramatically extend its lead over the Android field if this leak proves true.

Given the performance of the A13 Bionic and how well optimized iOS is on iPhones, you’re not likely to notice a dramatic speed boost with the iPhone 12 in day-to-day use. But the A14 Bionic should provide smoother experience with graphically intensive apps and games, as well as iPhone AR apps.

Speaking of AR, while the standard 5.4-inch iPhone 12 and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max are set to have a pair of rear cameras, the trio of cameras on the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max are set to be paired with a LiDAR sensor. That means, like the iPad Pro 2020, the Pro handsets will have a camera system better suited for use with AR apps. 

Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.