Apple has introduced the A20 Pro system-on-a-chip, featuring a six-core CPU architecture consisting of two high-performance 'desktop-class' super-cores and four energy-efficient cores. The super-cores provide a speed increase of up to 20% compared to previous iterations.
The graphics subsystem has been upgraded to seven cores, resulting in a performance boost of up to 40% in graphical tasks and increased memory bandwidth. The GPU's integrated neural accelerators now offer double the performance in FP8 operations compared to the previous generation, enabling the local execution of large language models.
The Neural Engine has been expanded to 32 cores, doubling both its core count and overall performance compared to its predecessor. The chip now supports FP8 floating-point calculations and features the widest memory bus ever used in an iPhone, optimized for on-device AI models.
To manage heat during sustained loads, Apple adopted a thermal design similar to the M-series processors. This includes direct contact between the processor, memory, and a vapor chamber that is three times larger than the one found in the iPhone 17 Pro.
In sustained performance tests, the A20 Pro in the iPhone 18 Pro is 40% faster than the A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Pro and twice as fast as the A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro.