The Apple A19 Pro application processor (AP) isn't bulldozing its way through the competition as one might expect it to. The other chipsets that will be compared to the Apple A19 Pro include the Samsung Exynos 2600 AP, which could end up as the first chip built using a 2nm process node to find its way inside a smartphone. Competition for the A19 AP will also come from Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite 5, the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Apple's decision to focus on power conservation instead of performance shows up in benchmark tests
Apple's latest high-end application processor, the A19 Pro, powers the amazingly thin iPhone Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That would make it Apple's most powerful smartphone processor. It is built by TSMC using its third-generation 3nm process node (N3P). Compared to last year's A18 Pro, built using TSMC's second-gen 3nm process, the A19 Pro's six-core CPU breaks down into two performance cores and four efficiency cores and delivers a 13% improvement in performance over the A18 Pro.
Do you consider the Geekbench score of the chip driving a phone in your buying decision?
Yes. A powerful chip is a must-have for me.
40.48%
No. The score doesn't show energy efficiency.
59.52%
With Apple focusing on the SoC's efficiency instead of performance, the A19 Pro delivered Geekbench 6 single-core and multi-core scores of 3,895 and 9,746, respectively. As is typical, Apple's AP was tops in single-core. But by focusing on efficiency, the A19 Pro left too much performance on the table allowing its multi-core score to fall behind the multi-core scores belonging to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and the Exynos 2600.
Even with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 AP underclocked at 4GHz compared to the default 4.74GHz, the SoC, tested on the Galaxy S26 Edge, scored a multi-core tally of 11,515, crushing the A19 Pro by 18.2%. It still trailed the A19 Pro's single-core score by 12.9%
As for the Exynos 2600, it is manufactured by Samsung Foundry using its 2nm Gate-all-around (GAA) node. If Samsung uses the Exynos 2600 AP to power the Galaxy S26 Pro and Galaxy S26 Edge, it would probably be found under the hood of these models in all markets except for the U.S., Canada, and China. The Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 for Galaxy will power those models in these aforementioned regions. The Exynos 2600 would be the first 2nm chip to be found inside a smartphone and would use Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors.
GAA transistors wrap the gate around all four sides of the channel, reducing current leaks and improving the drive current. This will result in the production of more powerful chips with better energy efficiency. These transistors lead to the creation of smaller chips with stronger performance. While Samsung Foundry has been using GAA transistors since debuting its 3nm node, TSMC will introduce its GAA transistors when it starts shipping its 2nm silicon later this year.
The Exynos 2600's multi-core score topped the A19 Pro's tally in the same category by 15.5% although it fell short of Apple's premium AP in single-core scoring by 15%.
Will these Geekbench scores impact the actions of consumers?
Just because the A19 Pro trails the Exynos 2600 and Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 APs with its Geekbench multi-core tallies, these scores will not have any impact on real-world sales of the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. the Galaxy S26 Pro, Galaxy S26 Edge, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. Have you ever made a buying decision about your next phone based on the Geekbench test results of the chipsets powering the phones you're considering?
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The Apple A19 Pro's multi-core Geekbench score trailed those belonging to its competitors. | Image credit-Unknown
Many believe that there is no way that the processors used on Android phones could ever outperform those chips designed by Apple and built by TSMC. While the once unthinkable has taken place, we should point out that the A19 Pro uses only six CPU cores compared to eight for the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 and 10 for the Exynos 2600.
Would these results change my mind about the phone I want?
The Geekbench test results wouldn't change my mind about the phone I want to buy, which is powered by none of the APs mentioned in this article. That phone, the Pixel 10 XL, is powered by the Tensor G5 AP, which produced Geekbench scores of 2,285 for the single-core test and 6,191 for the multi-core test. While improvements over the Tensor G4, they trail well behind the Geekbench results tallied by the A19 Pro, Snapdragon 8 Elite 5, and the Exynos 2600 APs.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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