Apple And Samsung Compete Strictly In Smartphone Speed Race

JAKARTA - On September 10, 2025, Apple launched the A19 Pro processor for the iPhone 17 Pro, which Apple claims to be Apple's fastest chip as well as a serious challenger to Samsung in the fastest smartphone race.

Based on the Geekbench results released on that date, the iPhone 17 lineup with the A19 chip showed significant performance improvement. Apple promises better efficiency and higher speed at the "Awe Dropping" event in Cupertino, and benchmark results prove the promise.

The iPhone 17, identified with several ID models on Geekbench, recorded single-core scores between 3,523 to 3,895 and multi-cores between 8,810 to 9,746. This figure shows an increase in processing power compared to previous generations.

The iPhone 16 Pro with the A18 Pro chip recorded a Geekbench score of 6.5.0 of 3,396 for single-cores and 8,655 for multi-cores. The iPhone 17 Pro with the A19 Pro showed an increase of about 10%, with a single-core score of 3,895 and a multi-core of 9,746.

This increase can be seen in tasks such as PDF rendering (196.3 megapixels per second) and photo library processing (135.1 images per second). The iPhone 17 aggregate score shows better performance, although the details of the subtes are not yet fully available.

Competition with Samsung and Google

Samsung with the Snapdragon 8 Elite on the Galaxy S25 Ultra recorded a single-core score of 2,773 to 3,148 (dependent on the firmware and binning CPU variants) and multi-cores of around 9,481 to 10,236. Despite being slightly left behind in single-cores, Samsung is narrowly superior in multi-cores, focusing on thermal stability and AI workloads.

Meanwhile, Google Tensor G5 in the Pixel 10 Pro XL lags behind a single-core score of 2,296 and a multi-core 6,203, well behind Apple and Qualcomm. The G5 tensor emphasizes up to 60% increase in AI and 34% CPU performance, but loses at a raw pace.

High single-core scores are essential for daily tasks such as navigation, browsing, and app launches. Meanwhile, multi-core upgrades support heavy workloads such as video editing, AI tasks, and gaming. The gain from 8,655 to about 9,700 on multi-cores shows a major step in Apple's core efficiency and performance.

IPhone 17 Line Context

Apple introduced the iPhone 17 family on September 9, 2025, including the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, the new iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. All models use the A19 chip variant, which prioritizes efficiency from the A17 Pro. iPhone Air, at a price of 999 US dollars (Rp. 16.3 million), marketed as a "MachBook Air" moment for iPhones with thinner and lighter designs. Benchmark shows even the standard iPhone 17 model has outstanding performance, surpassing the iPhone 16 Pro.

Although Geekbench scores show an advantage, benchmarks do not reflect the entire user experience, such as screen brightness, camera quality, or wireless performance. Factors such as thermal hacking in long use sessions (for example gaming or video 4K exports) are also not measurable. In addition, the iPhone 16 Pro is fast enough for most users, so performance differences may feel like a marketing gimmick for ordinary users.

Geekbench data confirms that Apple is again pushing the limits on its chip capabilities, providing a single-core and multi-core iPhone 17 score that is higher than the iPhone 16 Pro. For iPhone 16 Pro users, this upgrade may not be too significant. However, for those who use the old model, the performance jump will feel much more dramatic. Apple hopes that this upgrade, along with the design of the new hardware, will drive a strong update cycle.