Apple iPhone 7 will offer performance on a par with the iPad Pro, according to leaked benchmarks

New chip will give iPhone 7 a 20 per cent performance boost

Benchmark scores for the Apple A10 processor that's likely to debut in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus later this year have appeared online.

The chip, expected to be called the A10, is expected to be built on TSMC's 16nm FinFET node, and the firm has reportedly ramped up production over the past few weeks. This is the same production method used for Apple's A9 chip as TSMC is still not ready for mass production of 10nm chips, according to reports.

However, the A10 will apparently offer improvements over the A9 used in the iPhone 6S, including lower power consumption, less heating and a step up in performance.

The first A10 benchmarking results appeared on Geekbench, according to a TechTastic report, and show that Apple's next-generation mobile processor will match the A9X chip in terms of performance. The A10 scored 3,000, just a smidgen below the 3,100 scored by the A9X used in Apple's two iPad Pro tablets.

These results, if accurate, also show the A10 chip provides a 20 per cent bump in performance compared with the A9. This is all well and good, but it's worth noting that the A9 offered a 50 per cent performance increase over the A8.

To make up for this, the A10 will reportedly offer improvements in other areas. There are rumours that the next-gen SoC will be made using the unique 'fan-out' method that reduces its size, leading to a slimmer design or a larger battery and more space for other components.

What's more, these are early results that could be improved before the iPhone 7 is launched in September.

This is just the latest in the ongoing leak of information about the iPhone 7. Speculation points to a slight redesign, the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack, a new Space Black colour option and a bigger battery.