Apple’s A20 Chip: Why It Might Only Power The IPhone 18 Pro & Pro Max
The Apple A18 Pro chipset is currently used in the company’s iPhone 16 lineup. We expect that the A19 Pro (or whatever Apple plans to call it) will make its way into the iPhone 17 lineup. You would assume the A20 could be used in the iPhone 18 series, right? That might not be the case. According to the latest rumors, the Apple A20 could be exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and Fold models.
Apple A20 could be an iPhone 18 Pro exclusive
The rumors say that Apple’s A20 chipset will be built on TSMC’s 2nm process. It will also be the first chipset from Apple to take advantage of the more advanced manufacturing process. We’re also hearing that it won’t come cheap. This means that to maintain its margins, Apple could limit the chipset’s availability to its higher-end smartphones.
It also makes sense that Apple would further differentiate its base models from Pro models. By giving the Pro and Pro Max iPhones a more advanced chip, Apple might appeal to customers who want access to the most powerful tech it has to offer.
The report says Apple will use TSMC’s WMCM (Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module) packaging. This allows Apple to integrate various dies, like the CPU, GPU, and memory, at a wafer level. So, if Apple plans on using the A20 for the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and Fold models, what will the rest use?
If we had to speculate, there’s a chance that Apple will continue using the A19 chipset for the base iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Air. We’re unsure if the company might tweak the A19 with higher clock speeds, so we’ll have to wait and see.
What to expect from the iPhone 18
It’s definitely too early to tell what the iPhone 18 will bring to the table. Apple hasn’t even announced the iPhone 17 series yet. However, one thing we are consistently hearing is that 2026 is the year Apple finally introduces its first foldable smartphone. The Cupertino company has long avoided the foldables market.
It was initially thought that Apple didn’t believe in the category, but maybe they were simply biding their time.
As for the iPhone 18 models, we’re hearing that the Pro and Pro Max models could come with an under-display Face ID system. Take note that this is only for Face ID. The front-facing cameras will still be there normally. However, we heard that Apple could make the jump to a full under-display camera system for the 20th anniversary iPhone.
