iPhone 18 Pro’s new A20 chip rumored to bring two major upgrades - 9to5Mac

What the report says

9to5Mac reported on July 20, 2026, that Apple’s rumored A20 Pro chip for the expected iPhone 18 Pro lineup and an “iPhone Ultra” model could bring two notable technical changes when the devices arrive this fall. The article, by Ryan Christoffel, frames the chip as potentially more significant than a typical annual iPhone processor update, while noting that the details remain rumors rather than confirmed Apple announcements.

The first reported upgrade is a move to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s 2-nanometer fabrication process, down from the current 3nm class used in recent Apple chips. 9to5Mac says that shift could give Apple more room to improve performance and energy efficiency within a similar chip size. The outlet does not specify which parts of the chip Apple would prioritize, but says a fabrication leap generally gives chip designers more headroom.

The second expected change is adoption of Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module packaging for iPhone processors. According to the report, this approach would integrate components such as the system-on-chip and DRAM at the wafer level before individual chips are separated, potentially improving heat handling, signal integrity, performance and power use. 9to5Mac also links the packaging change to possible gains in AI processing and high-end gaming workloads.

The report matters because Apple’s custom silicon is central to iPhone performance, battery life and on-device features. However, Apple has not publicly confirmed the A20 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro specifications, or the reported iPhone Ultra branding, so the claims should be treated as pre-release supply-chain and industry rumor until officially announced.