Apple's A20 Chip to Reportedly Use TSMC's N3P Process, Relying on Advanced Packaging for iPhone 18 Performance Gains

Apple's A20 Chip to Reportedly Use TSMC's N3P Process, Relying on Advanced Packaging for iPhone 18 Performance GainsIT Home, March 18 According to MacRumors, Jeff Pu, an analyst at GF Securities (Hong Kong), recently predicted that the iPhone 18 series, slated for release in the second half of 2026, will utilize an A20 chip based on TSMC's N3P process. This prediction has sparked considerable industry interest, particularly regarding Apple's future chip technology roadmap

Apple's A20 Chip to Reportedly Use TSMC's N3P Process, Relying on Advanced Packaging for iPhone 18 Performance Gains

IT Home, March 18 According to MacRumors, Jeff Pu, an analyst at GF Securities (Hong Kong), recently predicted that the iPhone 18 series, slated for release in the second half of 2026, will utilize an A20 chip based on TSMC's N3P process. This prediction has sparked considerable industry interest, particularly regarding Apple's future chip technology roadmap.

N3P is TSMC's third-generation 3nm process, and its advanced nature is unquestionable. Previous reports indicated its use in Apple's M5 series chips and the A19 series chips expected in the 2024 iPhone 17 lineup. Pu's prediction suggests Apple's A20 chip might not see a significant process node improvement over the A19, remaining on N3P. This contradicts the widespread expectation that Apple will continuously pursue breakthroughs in chip process technology.

However, this doesn't mean the iPhone 18 series' performance will stagnate. Pu's report further suggests the A20 chip will employ advanced chip packaging technology CoWoS (Chip on Wafer on Substrate). CoWoS allows for tighter integration of logic chips and memory, significantly boosting overall chip performance and efficiency. This allows Apple to enhance A20 performance and deliver powerful computing capabilities and superior power management to the iPhone 18 series, even without a significant process node advancement.

While CoWoS isn't new, its application in mobile chips remains relatively limited. Apple's adoption of CoWoS for the A20 signifies its commitment and technological prowess in enhancing chip performance. By stacking logic chips with high-bandwidth memory (HBM), CoWoS shortens data transfer paths, reducing latency and increasing bandwidth. This translates to significant performance gains for applications demanding heavy data processing, such as image processing, AI, and gaming.

Furthermore, CoWoS can contribute to lower power consumption. Shorter data paths reduce internal energy consumption, extending battery life. For Apple, which prioritizes user experience, balancing performance and battery life is crucial. Therefore, the CoWoS-enabled A20 chip should better balance performance and power consumption, providing a superior user experience.

Pu's prediction, focusing on the A20's process and packaging, offers insight into Apple's future chip strategy. Currently, Apple seems to be investing more in advanced packaging technologies to achieve breakthroughs in performance and power efficiency. This might foreshadow a future trend in mobile chip development, emphasizing the role of advanced packaging in performance enhancement.

Of course, this remains an analyst's prediction, pending official confirmation from Apple. However, Pu has a relatively strong track record in predicting Apple's chip technology, making his forecast noteworthy. Regardless of the final outcome, Apple's continuous innovation in chip technology will profoundly impact the mobile device industry. The iPhone 18 series' ultimate performance will depend on Apple's integrated capabilities in chip design, software optimization, and other hardware aspects. We eagerly await to see if Apple can deliver surprising performance improvements through advanced packaging without changing the process node. This further highlights the importance of advanced packaging technologies like CoWoS in the future of mobile chips.