iPhone 11 Speed Upgrade Could Reportedly Be Smallest Improvement In Recent History
With Apple one week away from launching the “iPhone 11” series, the leaks are still coming in regarding the Cupertino, California, tech giant’s 2019 smartphone line. These include new benchmark results that supposedly show CPU performance statistics for one of the three models expected to be unveiled in the coming week.
According to a report from 9to5Mac, the latest Geekbench tests show that the device internally known as the “iPhone 12,1” — the likely successor to the lower-priced iPhone XR — registered a 5,415 score for single-core testing and 11,294 for multi-core. While the outlet cautioned that there’s always a chance that benchmark results can be faked, 9to5Mac reporter Benjamin Mayo noted that these figures would make the most affordable iPhone 11 about 12 percent faster for tasks that only require one processor core to be used, but “essentially unchanged” when it comes to tasks where multiple cores are needed.
As Mayo further explained, the purported Geekbench test results don’t just hint at a modest improvement in “raw” CPU performance, but also point to the uptick being the smallest year-over-year increase in recent iPhone history. He added, however, that Apple’s A-series chips are still industry leaders in terms of speed, and that it’s possible Apple upgraded its chips in an effort to improve battery life, as opposed to significantly improving processing speed.
Offering another disclaimer for the Geekbench results, Mayo pointed out that the processor benchmarking software is limited to testing specific elements of a CPU, which means there may be some performance improvements on Apple’s new A13 processor that won’t show up on tests. These reportedly include a “matrix” co-processor that could make certain tasks faster but likely won’t improve the results of popular benchmarking tests.
Purported iPhone 11 benchmark suggests 1 GB additional RAM and modest CPU speed-up https://t.co/j4MJStfTH8 by @bzamayo pic.twitter.com/iKOd6CKqC0
— 9to5Mac (@9to5mac) September 3, 2019
In addition to the aforementioned benchmark test improvements, the Geekbench leak also revealed that Apple’s iPhone XR successor will come with 4GB RAM, which marks a 1GB increase over last year’s model. This would allow the cheapest iPhone 11 model to be on par with last year’s iPhone XS and XS Max, which both shipped with 4GB RAM. It remains unclear, however, whether Apple will also adding more RAM to the rumored “iPhone 11 Pro” models — the two high-end successors to the XS and XS Max.
As noted separately by AppleInsider, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 11 line at a media event on Tuesday, September 10. Aside from the above-mentioned processor and RAM specifications, the new devices have been rumored to include few noticeable design changes, as well as a variety of minor upgrades that include a triple-lens rear camera for the “Pro” models, larger batteries, and two-way wireless charging.
