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Apple Announces A20 Pro, Its First 2nm iPhone Chip

Apple says the A20 Pro’s 2nm process with WMCM-style packaging and a 96-bit memory bus will raise sustained CPU and GPU performance and expand on-device AI compute.

Overview

  • Apple unveiled the A20 Pro at its September 9 iPhone event on Wednesday, confirming it as the first 2nm iPhone SoC and naming the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and the new foldable iPhone Duo as the devices that will use it.
  • The A20 Pro is built on TSMC’s N2 node and uses WMCM-style chip packaging that places memory beside the silicon to remove DRAM from the chip’s thermal path and connect the die directly to an enlarged vapor chamber for better heat dissipation.
  • Apple lists a 6-core CPU (two performance cores plus four efficiency cores), a 7-core GPU and dual Neural Engines totaling 32 cores, with company claims of about 20% faster performance for the super cores and up to 40% GPU uplift generation over generation.
  • The chip uses a wider 96‑bit LPDDR5X memory interface for roughly 50% more bandwidth, which Apple says supports heavier on-device AI and graphics workloads; the company also announced a new in-house C2 cellular modem for faster uploads and lower power use.
  • Independent benchmarks and some leak details such as exact clock speeds and cache sizes remain unverified, but analysts say the move to 2nm and the new packaging could also signal a 2nm path for future M-series chips and help foldable iPhone battery life and sustained performance.