JAKARTA - Apple is rumored to be making major changes to chip design for the upcoming iPhone 2026 line. According to a recent report from analyst Jeff Pu for GF Securities, Apple will introduce an A20 chip not only built with TSMC's second-generation 2nm fabrication process, but also using revolutionary chip packaging technology that has never been used before on Apple's mobile devices.
For the first time, Apple will adopt the Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) technology in its iPhone processor. This technology allows various components such as SoC (System on Chip) and DRAM to be combined directly at the wafer level before being cut into individual chips.
In contrast to conventional approaches that use interposters or substrates as inter-chip connectors, WMCM eliminates these needs. The result is an increase in thermal efficiency and signal integrity, which in turn can improve performance while reducing power consumption, especially for high-end AI processing and gaming.
The debut on the iPhone 18 and iPhone FoldChip A20 is planned to be the brains of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the long-rumulated device, the iPhone 18 Fold. With WMCM technology, this chip will have a closer physical relationship with its onboard memory, which allows for faster and more efficient data access.
Not only that, the iPhone 18 Fold will most likely also be Apple's testing field to implement this latest chip packaging technology in a fully new form factor.
TSMC, Apple's main partner in chip manufacturing, is also reportedly building a dedicated production line for WMCM technology in their AP7 facility. The process used will be similar to CoWoS-L technology, but without a substrate.
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Jeff Pu reports that TSMC is targeting production capacity of up to 50,000 wafers per month (KPM) by the end of 2026, and an increase of up to 110,000120,000 KPM by the end of 2027, in line with the increased adoption of this technology.
The impact for the Apple Step Industry is seen as a big leap in mobile chip designs, similar to how they became the first to adopt the 3nm process in the industry. Now, the technology that used to be used only in data center class GPUs and AI accelerators is starting to penetrate into smartphones.
With a combination of 2nm and WMCM processes, Apple not only prioritizes efficiency and performance, but also shows the future direction of silicon design on mobile devices. The world will look forward to how this A20 chip will change the user experience on its next-generation iPhone.
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