A first look at the iPhone 18 Pro’s logic board shows that the A20 Pro has adopted the new WMCM (Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module) packaging, with Apple gradually shifting away from the PoP (Package-on-Package) technology used for the A19 Pro. We also see that Apple has once more relied on its chip design prowess to limit the size of the SoC while also making changes to the Neural Engine.
Maintaining the same physical size as the A19 Pro allows Apple to lower production costs for the A20 Pro, which are already expensive to mass produce, thanks to TSMC’s 2nm node
While the image from Reptalica shown below only shows circuitry markers equivalent to a schematic rather than actual logic board images, it’s enough to deduce what changes will arrive on the A20 Pro. The new packaging has allowed the DRAM to move to the side of the chipset instead of being placed at the top, which will greatly improve heat dissipation.
As Apple moves towards making its custom silicon more efficient, the company also wants to ensure that its SoCs can run sustained workflows without running into throttling territory. We’ve previously discussed that the iPhone 17 Pro Max often hits a thermal wall with the A19 Pro, despite being equipped with a vapor chamber, and beyond a certain power limit, the SoC will exceed its temperature limit.
The current PoP technology makes it difficult to control thermals, which explains why Apple transitioned to WMCM for the A20 Pro. What’s also interesting is that the Neural Engine’s size has been increased while keeping the package size similar to the A19 Pro, which is just another way of saying that Apple’s chip-design expertise has proven resourceful again.
With TSMC’s 2nm lithography already a costly endeavor, Apple has embraced clever tactics to ensure that its chipset costs don’t hover out of control. This level of proficiency was displayed with the A19 and A19 Pro, which feature up to a 10 percent smaller die than the A18 and A18 Pro.
The increase in the Neural Engine’s size is clearly intended to deliver an uplift in on-device AI operations, as the iPhone 18 Pro will support the entire suite of Siri AI. However, since this move was made while maintaining the A20 Pro’s physical size, it’s regarded as an impressive feat. The post from Reptalica also mentions that the new silicon will support LPDDR6 RAM with a 96-bit bus width, though we have our doubts about this transition since Apple moves at a snail’s pace when adopting the newest standards.
Overall, we get a clearer picture of what will fuel the innards of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and while the packaging change brings certain perks, we’ll get a complete overview of the A20 Pro when it’s officially announced later this year, so stay tuned.
News Source: Reptalica
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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