Next year will be the first time since 2023 that Apple will make a major technological leap, as it has been reported to unveil its first 2nm chipset, courtesy of securing nearly half of the initial wafer batch from its trusted foundry partner TSMC. However, this is not the specific change we wanted to discuss because, after the iPhone 17 announcement concluded, it was found that Apple made a drastic change to its A-series lineup, and it is a strategy that we should witness when the iPhone 18 and the A20 go official.
iPhone 18 series is expected to be accompanied by a single A20, followed by two A20 Pro variations, making it a total of three chipset launches
For the iPhone 17 family, Apple introduced the A19, which is found in the base model, along with two versions of the A19 Pro. As you would have guessed, the iPhone Air has been treated to the less powerful silicon, while the ‘Pro’ versions ship with the best chipset. To remind you, Apple resorts to chip-binning, where it typically removes a single or more GPU cores from the exact chipset model, so while it will feature the same name, its specifications will be different. To bring you up to speed, we have listed the CPU and GPU cores for the A19 and A19 Pro below.
A19 - 6-core CPU (2 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), 5-core GPU
A19 Pro (found in the iPhone Air) - 6-core CPU (2 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), 5-core GPU
A19 Pro (found in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max) - 6-core CPU (2 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), 6-core GPU
If you noticed, despite the CPU cores being the name, Apple has introduced a differentiation in the number of GPU cores. This variation has existed for quite a while in the company’s chipset family, but it is the first time that the technology giant has launched three SoCs hailing from the same lineup. We feel that this strategy will be repeated for the A20 and A20 Pro next year when the iPhone 18 range is announced, but which specific model will be treated to which SoC?
In 2026, it is reported that the base iPhone 18 will be phased out in favor of Apple’s first foldable iPhone, with the second-generation iPhone Air, and the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max retained for next year’s launch. While the A20’s and A20 Pro’s specifications are unconfirmed, given below are our hardware predictions.
iPhone Air - A20 (2 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores, 5-core GPU)
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max - A20 Pro (2 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores, 6-core GPU)
Foldable iPhone - A20 Pro (2 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores, 6-core GPU)
Looking at the changes that Apple employed this year, a possibility exists where the company could bring binned parts to its M-series down the road. For now, let us know if you think this strategy is the right thing to do moving forward.
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.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
