Apple introduced the A18 and A18 Pro just in time for the iPhone 16 series, with the Pro version featuring a more powerful GPU designed for demanding graphical tasks such as augmented reality, 3D rendering, and ray tracing.
Recent images of the actual chips have surfaced online, revealing that the two platforms have significant differences, even though both are manufactured by TSMC using the same 3 nm process technology.
GPU (Graphics Processing Unit): A specialized electronic circuit designed to accelerate the creation and rendering of images, animations, and video for display. It is particularly effective for tasks that involve complex graphical computations, such as gaming and visual effects.
TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company): A leading semiconductor manufacturing company that produces chips for various technology companies, known for its advanced process technologies, including the 3 nm process used for the A18 series chips.
3 nm Process Technology: A semiconductor manufacturing process that utilizes a feature size of 3 nanometers, allowing for more transistors on a chip, which can improve performance and energy efficiency.
TSMC employed the InFO-PoP (Integrated Fan-Out Package-on-Package) technique, which stacks DRAM packages directly atop the SoC die. This method incorporates high-density redistribution layers (RDL) and Through InFO Via (TIV), resulting in a smaller overall chip size while ensuring robust thermal and electrical performance.
A closer examination of the die shot indicates that the A18 Pro contains more transistors, translating to greater power and improved overall performance for the Pro model.
Apple was reported to have reserved all of TSMC’s 2 nm process technology capabilities for the A19 chips. However, analysts have suggested that Cupertino will only release the iPhone 17 Pro models equipped with 2 nm chips, as the Taiwanese manufacturer is currently facing yield issues.