We're on the eve of the iPhone 17 series launching on September 19, and there have been plenty of hands-on impressions of the handsets. But one that's sticking out is the A19 Pro chip, powering both the iPhone 17 Pro line and the thin iPhone Air. Although Apple described the chip at its September 9 'Awe Inspiring' conference as its most powerful chip yet in an iPhone, fans were skeptical. However, some benchmarks have recently come out, revealing just how much of a leap the A19 Pro chip is over last year's A18 Pro.
Featuring 12GB memory with six CPU and six GPU cores, the A19 Pro was never going to be a slouch. But several benchmarks, like the one shown in the video further down this page from Xiaobai's Tech Reviews, have revealed that the chip offers an almost 50% increase in performance compared to the A18 Pro chip, found in last year's iPhone 16 Pro handsets. Considering the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the current top pick from our guide to the best iPhones for gaming, we might have a new champion in town.
However, the GPU side of the chip still slightly trails behind its competitors in some areas, including the Dimensity 9400 and Snapdragon 8 Elite, found in some of the top picks from our guide to the best gaming phones. That's according to early testing, but we're still waiting for more data.
With improved ray tracing, a vapor chamber to keep everything cool when playing high-performance games like Assassin's Creed Mirage, and more memory, you'll likely be able to see the benefits of what the A19 Pro chip brings if you use your iPhone to game each day. That's especially true if you're upgrading from an older Apple phone, with the likes of the 13 Pro and 14 Pro starting to show their age.
As the owner of an iPhone 15 Pro Max since 2023, I've been impressed by how well it runs the best Apple Arcade games, as well as games like Death Stranding and Resident Evil 2. But as I'm holding out for the much-anticipated iPhone Fold, allegedly launching next year, I can't help but think this foldable will blow past this year's iPhones even more, as well as potentially offering even longer battery life.
For now, though, if you've been waiting for an iPhone with big camera improvements and a faster chip, all in an orange housing, the 17 Pro could be the one to get. You'll need to act fast, though, as iPhone 17 pre-orders are already well underway.
If you're curious about what the Android phones could offer you instead, check out our guides to the best Android phones and the best mid-range phones while you're here. Or, if you're looking for something just to game on, take a look at our list of the best handheld consoles.