Apple iPhone 18 Pro expected to get a huge graphics boost, said to be 18% faster than current model

A new leak suggests Apple’s upcoming A20 Pro chip could feature a larger GPU and a faster memory interface, potentially giving the iPhone 18 Pro a significant graphics boost. However, the information comes from an unverified source and is based on indirect analysis rather than an actual image of the chip.

The images were posted on Weibo by leaker Fried White Rice, an account with a track record of Apple-related leaks. Importantly, the images are not die shots of the A20 Pro itself. Instead, they appear to show circuit-board diagrams indicating where the chip would be attached. The leaker has used the layout, outline and solder-ball positions to infer aspects of the chip's internal architecture.

According to the analysis, the A20 Pro could retain a six-core CPU configuration, consisting of two high-performance cores and four efficiency cores. That would be broadly similar to the A19 Pro. However, the efficiency cores may receive more cache. The L2 cache for the smaller CPU cores is reportedly expected to increase from 6MB on the A19 Pro to 8MB, while the L2 cache for the high-performance cores could remain at 16MB.


The more notable change could come on the GPU side. Based on the limited information visible in the diagrams, the leaker considered configurations with six, seven and eight GPU cores. After examining the apparent layout and solder-ball positions, the seven-core configuration was deemed the most likely.

If accurate, that would represent an increase from the six-core GPU in the A19 Pro. A larger GPU, combined with other architectural improvements, could make the A20 Pro considerably more capable at demanding games, graphics-intensive applications and other workloads.

The leak also points to a potentially wider 96-bit LPDDR5X memory interface. A wider interface could increase available memory bandwidth, which would be particularly useful for a larger GPU and other components competing for bandwidth. However, the actual performance benefit cannot be determined from a circuit-board diagram alone.

Another Weibo account, Fixed Focus Digital, has reportedly claimed that the A20 Pro could be around 18% faster than its predecessor while delivering a 30% improvement in power efficiency. Those figures remain unconfirmed and should be treated separately from what can be inferred from the leaked diagrams.

There is a major caveat to all of this. The diagrams do not directly reveal the A20 Pro's internal design, meaning the reported CPU cache, GPU core count and memory configuration are based on interpretation. Even if the images are genuine, they could represent an engineering sample rather than the final production chip. Apple could also change the design before mass production.

The A20 Pro is expected to power the iPhone 18 Pro models and could also be used in Apple's first foldable iPhone Ultra. If the rumored seven-core GPU and 96-bit LPDDR5X interface make it into the final hardware, the A20 Pro could deliver one of the more substantial graphics upgrades Apple has introduced in an iPhone. For now, though, the leak is best viewed as an intriguing indication of what Apple may be developing rather than a confirmed specification.