Forget MacBook gaming, Apple’s new iPhone 17 Pro has all the power you need
After the ‘Awe Inspiring’ Apple event on September 9, which revealed the new iPhone 17 series, a new iPhone Air, AirPods Pro 3, and updates for every Apple Watch, we’ve been waiting to find out just how powerful the new A19 Pro processor is. Found in the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max handsets, Apple made a big effort to highlight how much of a technological leap this chip is over the A18 Pro from last year. Now that some leaked benchmarks have emerged, Apple’s confidence in the new chip may be valid.
Over at Geekbench, a benchmarking site that showcases how powerful devices are by a points system, a new page shows an iPhone 17 Pro scoring 45,657. That’s a huge increase on the iPhone 16 Pro, the current top pick from our guide to the best iPhones for gaming, which scored 32,673. It gets even more impressive when you compare the A19 Pro to the silicon inside Apple’s other devices. The M4 MacBook Pro scores 56,579, while the M4 13-inch iPad Pro scores 55,544.
If this Geekbench test is accurate, some of these latest iPhones are getting to the point where they’re quickly catching up to Apple’s best tablets and laptops. It also adds credence to rumors that an A-Series chip may appear in a new MacBook someday, especially with a score of 45657.
But that’s not to disregard the iPhone 17. The most affordable new iPhone boasts a 20% boost in gaming performance with the regular A18 chip, making it a potential candidate for our best gaming phones. We’ll be sure to get our hands on the iPhone 17 as soon as possible to see if this 20% improvement is worth upgrading for.
I picked up an iPhone 15 Pro Max after it launched in 2023, and I’ve been impressed by how well it runs the best Apple Arcade games, as well as more graphics-intensive titles, such as Resident Evil 4 and Hitman. However, with the A19 Pro chip scoring 45,657, outpacing my M1 Pro MacBook Pro as well as my iPhone, we could be about to see even more games come to the lineup that demand a certain level of processing power.
As someone holding out for the much-anticipated iPhone Fold, rumored to arrive in 2026, I can’t help but feel that the iPhone Air is the precursor to the foldable device. Due to its ultra-thin design and focus on battery life and durability, I can easily imagine two iPhone Airs stuck together to become a Fold next year. In addition to the thought of an A20 Pro chip scoring even higher than the A19 Pro, Apple has gained a future sale from me once the handset is finally official.
In the meantime, if you’re curious about the other side of the smartphone coin, check out our guides to the best Android phones and the best mid-range phones. Or, if you’re looking for something just to game on, take a look at our list of the best handheld consoles.
