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Apple’s A19 Pro ramps up GPU performance
Early benchmark data for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, which debut Apple’s A19 Pro system-on-chip, show a significant uptick in graphics performance over last year’s A18 Pro. Popular reviewer Xiaobai’s Tech Reviews has published preliminary scores that help place Apple’s latest mobile GPU in context against Qualcomm and MediaTek flagships.
Raw graphics: big gains, but not always the top spot
On 3DMark’s Wild Life Extreme, the A19 Pro in the 17 Pro Max registered 6,557 points — a roughly 35% improvement versus the A18 Pro’s 4,812 on the previous-generation iPhone. However, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite (around 7,156) and MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 (about 7,003) remain ahead in this particular stress test, keeping the overall performance race tightly contested.
Ray-tracing and creative workloads
Where the A19 Pro stands out is in ray-tracing-heavy scenarios. In Solar Bay Extreme, a benchmark that emphasizes realistic lighting and reflections, the A19 Pro scored roughly 2,411 points — substantially higher than its predecessor and well above the Dimensity 9400 (1,160) and Snapdragon 8 Elite (1,277). The gap suggests Apple focused GPU architecture and software optimizations on advanced rendering techniques, an advantage for games and creative apps that use real-time lighting.
The Steel Nomad Light test tells a similar story: the A19 Pro posted about 2,956 points, near a 40% uplift compared with the A18 Pro, while Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400 recorded approximately 2,599 and 2,495, respectively.
- Key benchmark snapshots: 3DMark Wild Life Extreme, Solar Bay Extreme, Steel Nomad Light
- Notable strengths: ray-tracing, graphics-intensive rendering
- Areas to watch: raw rasterization scores where competitors still lead
"Taken together, these results represent one of Apple’s largest GPU jumps in years," the early analysis concludes. The A19 Pro doesn’t dominate every test, but its ray-tracing lead makes the iPhone 17 Pro models particularly compelling for mobile gamers, AR/VR experiences, and content creators on the go.
With Qualcomm and MediaTek preparing next-generation chips in the coming weeks, the competitive landscape for mobile GPU performance is likely to shift again. For buyers and developers, that means faster phones and more advanced graphics features arriving across the Android and iOS ecosystems.
Source: gizmochina
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