An alleged image of the motherboard of the next flagship device from Apple has surfaced online, drawing immediate attention.
Shared on the Asian social network Weibo by accounts such as WHYLAB and Ice Universe, the photograph of the unofficial iPhone 18 Pro motherboard provides valuable technical indications about the A20 Pro processor.
If confirmed, this leak suggests a remarkable performance leap over the previous generation, thanks to the adoption of packaging and manufacturing technologies that are entirely new for the Cupertino company.
Apple A20 Pro, the new WMCM architecture and the new RAM
According to leaked rumors, the A20 Pro processor will use Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) technology developed in collaboration with the TSMC foundries.
Until earlier models, Apple had opted for a package-on-package design, placing the DRAM memory directly above the application processor. Although this approach favored reducing power consumption and latency, it led to an inevitable concentration of heat in a small area.
The WMCM implementation visible in the photo instead shifts the DRAM to the side. This modification is designed to thermally separate the components, promoting significantly better cooling during intensive smartphone usage sessions.
Footprint-wise, the photographed component would maintain dimensions similar to the A19 Pro. However, the neural processing unit, namely the NPU, appears noticeably bulkier, indicating a decisive design push toward optimizing AI-based functions.
On the power delivery front, Apple has integrated high-performance SHPMIM capacitors, which manage to double the capacitive density compared to previous versions.
All of this is paired with LPDDR6 memories equipped with a 96-bit bus, a solution that guarantees higher bandwidth while maintaining high overall efficiency and stability.
