According to the latest rumors, Apple’s 2026 iPhones are expected to benefit from TSMC’s next-generation 2-nanometer process for the A20 chip, as well as a new packaging method called WMCM (Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module), which will include 12 GB of RAM. This change was shared on Weibo by the “Phone Chip Expert” account, a source with a very good reputation around Apple products.
Good news for customers
The A20 chip, which will therefore power the iPhone 18 range, will move from InFo packaging (Integrated Fan Out) current to WMCM, which allows greater flexibility in arranging multiple chips, such as CPUs, GPUs, DRAM, and custom accelerators, in a single package. In addition to saving space, this design could improve performance by optimizing communication between different components, thereby improving speed and energy efficiency.
Current iPhone 16s come with 8GB of RAM, a minimum requirement for Apple Intelligence. Ming-Chi Kuo, a renowned analyst, has already mentioned that the iPhone 17 Pro will have 12 GB of RAM, which could be a new standard for the base iPhone 18 range. However, for cost reasons, only the iPhone 18 Pro models could adopt TSMC’s 2nm technology. Enough to mark the difference between the two phones.
As always, the finer the etching process, the more transistors there are on the same chip. This results in faster processing and better energy efficiency. The iPhone 16 uses the A18 chip built with TSMC’s 3nm process, and TSMC plans to begin 2nm production by the end of 2025, with Apple as the first beneficiary.
“ Phone Chip Expert ” is known for the accuracy of its leaks, like when it predicted that standard iPhone 14 models would continue to use the A15 Bionic chip while the A16 chip would be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro. Recently, they were also the first to report Apple’s development of an AI server processor using TSMC’s 3nm process, with mass production planned for late 2025.
In any case, the combination of 2nm chip technology and 12 GB of RAM should enable breathtaking performance for games and AI, with Apple still largely dominating the benchmarks since it designs its AXX series processors itself. and Mr. X.
