Following Apple’s launch of the iPhone 17 series this week, it has been revealed that the tech giant has outlined a new processor strategy for the iPhone 18 series. The company will use three different A20 chips in its next-generation phones. Under this strategy, one standard A20 and two different A20 Pro processors will be developed.
The iPhone 18 series will offer different processors
Apple signaled this strategy by using three different chipsets for the first time in the iPhone 17 series. The higher-end models, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, are powered by the A19 Pro processor, while the iPhone Air launched with a lower-performance A19 Pro version.
The basis of this new strategy is Apple’s method called “binning.” The company determines performance by varying the number of graphics unit (GPU) cores to create different versions of the same processor. For example, the iPhone 17 Pro features a 6-core GPU, while the iPhone Air features a 5-core GPU.
According to industry sources, Apple will continue this triple-chipset strategy with the iPhone 18 series. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to be powered by the base A20 Pro processor, while the next-generation iPhone Air is expected to be powered by a lower-performance A20 Pro chip.
Furthermore, the long-awaited first foldable iPhone is also expected to launch alongside other devices and will reportedly feature the A20 Pro processor. If the rumors are true, the processors paired for the iPhone 18 series will be as follows:
- iPhone Air: Low-performance A20 Pro processor (2 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores, and a 5-core GPU)
- iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: A20 Pro processor (2 performance, 4 efficiency cores, and a 6-core GPU)
- Foldable iPhone (iPhone Fold): A20 Pro processor (2 performance, 4 efficiency cores, and a 6-core GPU)
Apple’s new strategy offers users more options and allows the company to more precisely tailor the performance of devices in different segments. This is likely to be reflected in the M-series chips used in Mac computers in the coming years.
