Apple Unveils New iPhone 15 Pro with Powerful A17 Pro Chip
Apple recently held its September reveal event, showcasing their latest phone hardware along with updates to the Apple Watch and AirPods. While many of the upgrades and new features were expected, the focus on mobile gaming to demonstrate the capabilities of the new A17 Pro chip was a pleasant surprise.
For years, iPhone has been known for its superior power and capabilities compared to the competition. However, many people have struggled to find a compelling reason to choose the more expensive ‘Pro’ models over the standard or SE models, which offer sufficient performance for most users.
With the introduction of the iPhone 15 Pro, featuring a unique titanium frame, a new action button, and an improved camera, Apple is finally giving consumers a genuine reason to invest in the premium model. The standout feature is undoubtedly the A17 Pro processor.
New Chip, New Power
While Apple releases a new chip every year, the A17 Pro chip represents a significant leap forward. It is the mobile industry’s first three nanometer chip, boasting an impressive 19 billion transistors. The 6-core CPU offers performance cores that are 10% faster and are hailed as “the fastest processor in any smartphone.”
In addition, the four high efficiency cores deliver three times the performance-per-watt capabilities compared to competitors. The 16-core neural engine is up to twice as fast for machine learning, capable of performing up to 35 trillion operations per second. Moreover, there are now dedicated engines for encoding and decoding ProRes, as well as an AV1 decoder for improved video streaming performance.
The A17 Pro chip’s new GPU features a 6-core design, providing up to 20% better peak performance and enabling the use of mesh shading and hardware accelerated ray tracing for the first time. On the software side, MetalFX upscaling combines the power of the GPU and Neural Engine to deliver high-quality graphics with reduced power consumption.
All these advancements drew praise from the audience, and Greg Joswiak, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, invited game developers to showcase the power of the new chip.
Unleashing the Gaming Potential
Joswiak emphasized that the iPhone is equipped with advanced HDR displays, variable refresh rates, and compatibility with the largest range of game controllers. He showcased the iPhone 15 Pro using a PlayStation 5 DualSense controller to demonstrate its exceptional gaming performance.
Fabrice Navrez, the executive producer for Ubisoft Mobile, took the stage to demonstrate The Division Resurgence. The game showcased console-quality graphics with improved resolution, dynamic lighting, and enhanced fire and weather effects, providing a more immersive experience.
Honkai: Star Rail was presented by Fish Ling, the senior director of global business development for HoYoverse. She highlighted the game’s high-quality water features, including realistic waves and reflections, which look even better on the new iPhone 15 Pro.
Meng Wang, a mobile game executive from HoYoVerse, showcased Genshin Impact. He praised the A17 Pro’s GPU for its improved speed and the MetalFX upscaling for faster response times, resulting in more detailed environments.
Lastly, Tsuyoshi Kanda, a producer from Capcom, announced that Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 4, previously only available on consoles, would now be playable on the iPhone thanks to the A17 Pro chip. These highly anticipated games are set to launch later this year.
As a final surprise, Joswiak revealed that Ubisoft would be bringing the latest installment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Mirage, to the iPhone 15 Pro in early 2024. This marks the first time a full console version of an Assassin’s Creed title will be available on a smartphone.
Joswiak concluded by stating, “It’s amazing to think that these games are running on a device that fits in your pocket. This new level of performance will enable new games for iPhone 15 Pro that were previously only available on game consoles, PC, or Mac.” A flashy banner reading “Welcome to the next level of mobile gaming” appeared, solidifying Apple’s commitment to revolutionizing mobile gaming.
With today’s game developers harnessing the power of the A17 Pro chip, upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro has never been a more compelling choice for mobile gamers.