Apple is gearing up to launch the iPhone 18 Pro series in a few weeks, and details on the chip that will power these devices are already making headlines. The chip that these devices will run on is the Apple A20 Pro, and details on the improvements and changes it’ll bring are now available.
One of the first changes to expect with this coming processor is its fabrication process. Unlike the A19 Pro powering the iPhone 17 Pro series, which uses the 3nm fabrication process, the A20 Pro will use the 2nm fabrication process. TSMC is the manufacturer of this processor, and with this smaller fabrication process, it ensures improvements in areas like performance and power efficiency.
Tipster Fixed Focus Digital recently took to his official Weibo account to share some details about this new processor. Aside from the improvements that this coming processor will bring, the tipster also highlights another important detail that potential buyers of the iPhone 18 Pro series need to keep in mind.
Improvements Coming To The Apple A20 Pro Chip
Fixed Focus Digital points out that this coming processor will bring significant improvements in areas like performance and power consumption. Regarding performance, this new processor is reported to come with about an 18% improvement in comparison with the A19 Pro chip.
The tipster also points out that the A20 Pro chip will feature a 30% power consumption reduction, hence making the battery on the iPhone 18 Pro series ideally last longer. While this isn’t officially confirmed, these are just some of the things that you can expect with the coming chip, which will power the iPhone 18 Pro series.
A factor that might be behind the improvements that this processor will bring is TSMC’s new Gate-All-Around (GAA) process. This process was designed for use on 2nm chips and beyond, and it replaces the FinFET process.
Pricing Increase For The Apple A20 Pro Chip
While this chip is expected to bring significant improvements to performance and power efficiency, it is also bringing a change to pricing. According to the tipster, the cost of processing this chip by TSMC is significantly higher.
While the tipster doesn’t attach figures to this claim, a previous report says that the bill of materials for this chip for Apple is up 40% in comparison with the A19 Pro chip. This price increase will significantly bump up the cost of the coming iPhone 18 Pro series, which is already suffering from the increase in the cost of memory components.
An increase in the cost of chips and memory components will significantly affect the retail price of the iPhone 18 Pro series. In the US, the iPhone 17 Pro series, which launched last year, starts at a retail price of $1099 for the 256GB Pro model, with the top 2TB Pro Max models reaching $1999.
Recent reports claim that the soon-to-launch iPhone 18 Pro model will retail at a starting price of $1399. This is a $300 price increase in comparison with the iPhone 17 Pro series.
What To Expect With The iPhone 18 Pro Series Launch
Firstly, Apple’s upcoming launch event will only feature the iPhone 18 Pro series for slab devices. This means that only the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will launch this year.
The launch of the base model iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone 18 Air will be delayed to the spring of 2027. Apple might also launch its first foldable device this year along with the iPhone 18 Pro series.
This foldable device will be similar to the new Samsung Galaxy Fold 8, making it a passport-style foldable device. The aspect ratio of this coming foldable device when unfolded will be similar to that of the iPad Mini, making it great for comfortable one-handed usage.
Apple might also launch an OLED iPad Mini along with these devices, bringing the number of products it’ll launch in a few weeks to four. Next year we will get the rest of the iPhone 18 series, and the reason for this might be the memory shortage currently plaguing the smartphone industry.