Apple’s upcoming A19 and A19 Pro chips are poised to emphasize efficiency over raw performance. According to recent reports, these new chips will use TSMC’s advanced third-generation 3nm ‘N3P’ manufacturing process, which is also expected to be the foundation for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 and potentially the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 later this year. This places both companies on equal footing in terms of lithography, allowing them to balance performance with battery life. While Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 might edge out Apple’s A19 series in raw performance, the latter’s focus will be on power efficiency to deliver longer-lasting battery life. 
This shift towards efficiency is in line with Apple’s ongoing goal to optimize user experience through better battery management, rather than chasing high benchmark scores.
We’ve seen speculation regarding the A19 and A19 Pro’s potential performance scores, with rumors suggesting the A19 could match the M4 chip’s single-core performance. However, in multi-core tests, Apple’s chips are reportedly outpaced by MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500, another chip built on the N3P process. Despite this, it’s important to note that power efficiency has a larger role to play in Apple’s strategy, with the A19 aiming to deliver more efficient performance, particularly in mobile devices, where battery life is often a constraint. In comparison, Qualcomm and MediaTek’s higher-performance chips could come at the cost of increased battery drain, though they can offset this by using larger batteries, thanks to advances in silicon-carbon technology.
Apple, however, has yet to transition to silicon-carbon cells, and with the iPhone 17 Air rumored to ship with a relatively small 2,800mAh battery, the A19’s efficiency will be crucial for maintaining battery life without sacrificing performance. While the efficiency-first approach might result in Apple losing out on bragging rights in future benchmark races, the real-world benefits will be felt by users in terms of longer battery life and smoother day-to-day performance. In the end, this focus on efficiency could prove more valuable to the majority of consumers who prioritize battery endurance over having the absolute fastest chip.