Understanding A12 Bionic
The A12 Bionic is a remarkable CPU crafted by Apple Inc., marking Apple's venture into 7nm technology for the first time. With a total of 6 cores, including 4 power-efficient Tempest cores and 2 high-performance Vortex cores, this chip upgrade enhances energy efficiency and processing power significantly.

- Key Specifications of A12 Bionic
Advantages of A12 Bionic
A12 Bionic represents a leap forward in Apple's iPhone chipset manufacturing. Its advantages over previous versions include:
- Enhanced Graphics Processing: According to Apple's research and announcement, the A12 chip boasts a 50% faster graphics processing capability compared to its predecessor, the A11 Bionic. Specifically, this microchip can process graphics for 200,000 images.
- Higher Performance: The A12 can handle tasks up to 15% faster than the previous generation. It's capable of performing 5 trillion 8-bit calculations per second.
- Compact Size: The A12 Bionic chip is significantly smaller, measuring only 95% of the size of the A11. While not a drastic reduction, it's enough to save space for better phone assembly.
- Lower Power Consumption: With similar activity levels, this processing chip consumes only 60% of the energy compared to the A11 chip. In efficient mode, it consumes less than 50% of the A11's energy.
- Improved Image Quality: The ISP within the A12 Bionic has been upgraded. This hardware will utilize more complex algorithms to process images before displaying them on the phone screen.
- Enhanced Feature Support: The chip is supported by artificial intelligence, enabling it to learn recognition and commands through speech. This optimizes facial recognition and voice control functionalities.

Comparison between A12 Bionic and Snapdragon 865
Before comparing, it's essential to know some technical specifications of Snapdragon 865. Specifically:
- Maximum Supported Clock Speed: 2.84 GHz
- Process: 7 nm
- Compatible Architecture: 64 bit
- Compatible Architecture: ARMv8‑A
- Chip Code: SM8250
- Number of Cores: 8 (4 ARM Cortex A77 and 4 A55 cores each)
- Primary Cache: 128 KiB + 384 KiB + 512 KiB
- Secondary Cache: 512 KiB + 768 KiB + 512 KiB
- L3 Cache: 4 MiB
- Memory Channels: 4
- Graphics Processor: Adreno 650
- Image Processor: Qualcomm Spectra 480

The above specifications indicate that the A12 Bionic is not outstanding compared to the Snapdragon 865. Firstly, the clock speed supported by A12 is only 87.67% of that of Snapdragon 865. Secondly, the 865 chip has 3 cache levels, while A12 has only 2, with each of A12's caches having lower capacity compared to the 865 chip.
Comparison between A12 Bionic and Snapdragon 855
Similar to comparing with Snapdragon 865, before comparing with 855, it's crucial to know some technical specifications of this chipset:
- Maximum Supported Clock Speed: 2.84 GHz
- Process: 7 nm
- Compatible Architecture: 64 bit
- Compatible Architecture: ARMv8-A64
- Chip Code: SM8150
- Number of Cores: 8 (4 ARM Cortex A76 and 4 A55 cores each)
- Primary Cache: 128 KiB + 384 KiB + 512 KiB
- Secondary Cache: 512 KiB + 768 KiB + 512 KiB
- L3 Cache: 2 MiB
- Memory Channels: 4
- Graphics Processor: Adreno 640
- Image Processor: Qualcomm Spectra 380

Compared to the A12 processor, Snapdragon 855 excels in every aspect. Specifically, the supported clock speed of the 855 chip is 14.06% higher than that of the A12 chip. Moreover, the 855 chip features an additional third cache, which the A12 lacks. Additionally, with the Adreno 640 graphics processor and Spectra 380 image processor, Snapdragon 855 also delivers superior graphics and image quality.
Comparison between A12 Bionic and Snapdragon 768G
For easier tracking and comparison, let's briefly review the technical specifications of Snapdragon 768G listed below:
- Maximum Supported Clock Speed: 2.8 GHz
- Process: 7 nm
- Compatible Architecture: 64 bit
- Compatible Architecture: ARMv8-64
- Chip Code: SM7250-AC
- Number of Cores: 8 (2 ARM Cortex-A76 and 6 A55 cores)
- Primary Cache: 128 KiB + 384 KiB + 512 KiB
- Secondary Cache: 512 KiB + 768 KiB + 512 KiB
- L3 Cache: 2 MiB
- Memory Channels: 4
- Graphics Processor: Adreno 620
- Image Processor: Qualcomm Spectra 355
According to the specifications, Snapdragon 768G boasts a clock speed approximately 12% higher than A12. However, Snapdragon 768G's image and graphics technologies are not as optimized as A12. Therefore, when gaming, A12 Bionic provides smoother and more visually appealing graphics compared to the 768G chip.

The A12 Bionic information in this article is compiled from Apple, Antutu, GeekBench, and Qualcomm announcements, ensuring accurate comparisons and specifications. With this information, you can choose a product line containing a chip that best suits your preferences. Additionally, for further exploration of technology products, you can follow Mytour to discover more articles.