Leaked motherboard images suggest the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro will feature an A20 Pro chip utilizing Wafer-level Multi-Chip Module technology to improve thermal management and overall processing performance.

Key Points

• The A20 Pro chip shifts from stacked DRAM to a side-by-side Wafer-level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) layout to reduce thermal throttling.
• Leaked data indicates the device will utilize LPDDR6 memory with a 96-bit bus, representing a 50% increase in width over previous generations.
• The Neural Engine has been significantly expanded to enhance on-device artificial intelligence processing capabilities.
• WMCM technology allows Apple to mix and match chiplets, potentially lowering production costs and reducing manufacturing waste.
• The leaked motherboard designs and A20 Pro data sheets may have originated from a recent security breach at a Tata iPhone factory.

Why it Matters

This architectural shift allows Apple to maintain high performance while mitigating the heat issues associated with previous stacked chip designs. By improving thermal efficiency and memory bandwidth, the company is positioning the iPhone 18 Pro to handle increasingly demanding on-device AI tasks more effectively.