3 days ago
Forget the iPhone 17 — next year's iPhone 18 due for huge performance boost
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 series in less than a month, but I may skip it for the iPhone 18 thanks to a new report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In his latest missive, the supply chain analyst claims that the A20 chip being made for next year's iPhone will see a massive upgrade.
The report is about the company, Eternal Materials, securing a packaging order from TSMC that would see it working on the iPhone 18 lineup and M5 MacBooks. Importantly, Eternal Materials won the contract with TSMC as part of several changes happening with the A20 chip.
'In 2H26, the iPhone 18's A20 processor packaging will shift from InFO to WMCM (Wafer-level Multi-Chip Module). WMCM uses MUF (Molding Underfill), which integrates underfill and molding processes, reducing material consumption and process steps to improve yield and efficiency,' Kuo explains.
WMCM enables the integration of multiple components in the same packaging. This means Apple can have more complex systems where the iPhone's CPU, GPU, DRAM, and other parts are on the same package, which can be stacked vertically or side by side. This arrangement is supposed to be more flexible.
On a basic level, the A20 should be both smaller and more power-efficient. This should physically place it closer to the physical memory of the device, which will optimize performance and possibly lower power consumption.
This aligns with previous reports about Apple using TSMC's 2nm process on the A20.
Between the new architecture and the 2nm process, it means the iPhone 18 is in for some big improvements. Current rumors suggest only the Pro models will get the 2nm chipsets.
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Kuo doesn't mention, but it looks like every iPhone 18 will get the new WMCM packaging.
Presumably, this boost will make Apple Intelligence tasks perform better. Apple should have improved its AI process by next fall. A version of Siri 2.0 is supposed to launch in early 2026.
The iPhone 17 won't be a slouch. It is rumored to be bbuilt on a new generation of TSMC's 3nm process. So it should be more powerful than the current A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro models.
Apple is expected to reveal the iPhone 17 in September during its next big event. We should also see new Apple Watches and potentially updated Apple AirPods Pro 3.
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