An alleged image of the iPhone 18 Pro motherboard has leaked online, showing the A20 Pro chip integrated into TSMC’s new Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module packaging architecture and adding visual evidence to months of rumors about Apple’s biggest chip packaging shift in years. The image was shared by Weibo accounts “WHYLAB” and “Ice Universe,” two sources with a track record of credible Apple hardware leaks, though neither Apple nor TSMC has confirmed the image’s authenticity.
The packaging technology at the center of the leak, known as WMCM, is a meaningful departure from the Package-on-Package design Apple has used for years. In a traditional PoP arrangement, DRAM sits directly on top of the application processor, which keeps latency low but concentrates heat in a single area. WMCM integrates the SoC and DRAM at the wafer level before the chips are even diced, connecting the dies without an interposer or substrate. In the leaked implementation, the DRAM appears to have been moved to the side of the package rather than stacked above it, which should reduce thermal coupling between the processor and memory and improve heat dissipation during sustained workloads.
The A20 Pro is also expected to be built on TSMC’s first-generation 2nm process, compared to the 3nm node used for the A19 Pro, and that node change alone typically delivers substantial gains. Combined with WMCM, Apple is projecting performance improvements of up to 15% and efficiency gains of up to 30% over A19 chips. The transition from TSMC’s InFo packaging to WMCM also brings the CPU, GPU, DRAM, and Neural Engine into closer proximity, improving communication speed between components.
A Larger NPU and LPDDR6 Memory
One of the more telling details in the leaked image is the apparent size of the Neural Processing Unit. The chip itself looks roughly the same size as the A19 Pro, but the NPU footprint appears significantly larger, suggesting Apple has prioritized on-device AI performance in the A20 Pro’s die allocation. That points in the same direction Apple Intelligence has been heading, and toward the broader expectation that iOS 27 will lean heavily on local inference for Siri and other AI features.
The A20 Pro is also expected to pair with LPDDR6 memory running on a 96-bit memory bus, which should deliver more energy-efficient bandwidth than current configurations. TSMC’s 2nm process adds new super-high-performance metal-insulator-metal capacitors to the chip’s power delivery system, with capacitance density more than double that of the previous generation, which should improve power stability across demanding workloads.
WMCM is not exclusive to the iPhone lineup. The same packaging transition has been confirmed for the M6 chip expected in the upcoming MacBook Pro, making this an Apple-wide silicon architecture shift rather than a phone-specific story.
iPhone 18 Pro Specifications and Price
The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone are all expected to launch in September 2026. Based on current rumors, the Pro models and the Fold will share several key specifications:
- A20 Pro chip built on TSMC’s 2nm process with WMCM packaging
- 12GB of RAM with LPDDR6 and a 96-bit memory bus
- 48-megapixel rear cameras
- Apple’s C2 modem
Pricing is shaping up to be a harder sell. IDC has suggested the iPhone 18 Pro could start at $1,299 and the Pro Max at $1,399, representing increases of up to $200 over current models. The Wall Street Journal has gone further, reporting the Pro could open at $1,399, citing RAM costs that have more than tripled. If that plays out, buyers will be paying a notable premium for the efficiency and AI gains the A20 Pro is expected to deliver, a significant step up from the iPhone 17 Pro.
via MacRumors
