All four iPhone 16 models will be equipped with A18-branded chips, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain.
In a research note with investment firm Haitong International Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, Pu said "we view A17 Pro as a transition design and now expect all the iPhone 16 models to feature A18, on TSMC's N3E."
In response to our email, Pu clarified his expectations, as outlined below:
- iPhone 16: A18 chip (N3E)
- iPhone 16 Plus: A18 chip (N3E)
- iPhone 16 Pro: A18 Pro chip (N3E)
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: A18 Pro chip (N3E)
Given the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are equipped with the A16 Bionic chip, a jump to the A18 chip for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus would be notable.
N3E refers to TSMC's second-generation 3nm chip fabrication process, which is less expensive and has improved yield compared to TSMC's first-generation 3nm process, N3B, which is used for the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro models.
Given that the iPhone 16 lineup is around a year away from launching, Pu is likely making an educated guess here with the marketing names, so it remains to be seen if Apple actually moves forward with A18 and A18 Pro branding. It is still possible that Apple could brand its iPhone 16 chips as the A17 and A18 Pro, mirroring recent years.
Pu was the first source to report that Apple had abandoned its plans for solid-state buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro models. He also accurately revealed that the iPhone 15 Pro models would be equipped with an increased 8GB of RAM, and that the iPhone 15 Pro Max would have a higher starting price than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
