Apple launches two processor chips for the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro
The A18 is not a partially deactivated version of the A18 Pro. Apple has designed a separate chip for a saving of just 15 mm².
(Image: Apple)
- Mark Mantel
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus use a different processor chip to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max: the A18 processor in the two cheaper models is not a reject from the Pro chip, in which parts of the graphics unit and cache are deactivated. Instead, Apple has designed two completely separate processors and ordered them from chip contract manufacturer TSMC using N3E technology.
This is according to analyses by Chipwise and Techinsights. They purchased the current iPhones and ground down the processors to reveal the chip structures. According to this, the A18 Pro is around 105 mm² in size; the A18 is around 90 mm².
The performance cores themselves look identical, but in the Pro model they access twice as much level 2 cache – a total of 16 MB instead of 8 MB. The so-called system level cache (SLC) is also twice as large at 24 MB. It is accessed by all of the processor's functional units, including the AI unit (Neural Processing Unit, NPU).
The NPU and the four efficiency cores (including cache) are identical in the A18 and A18 Pro. The GPU cores also look the same in each case – Apple has only reduced the GPU by one core in the A18. Meanwhile, the I/O blocks, for example for USB, are located at the edges of the chip. In the A18 Pro, Apple has invested more chip area in the I/O. What for is questionable.
A lot of effort for 15 mm² space saving
Typically, a chip design with modern production technology and on Apple's scale costs several hundred million US dollars. Even with the adoption of many blocks between the two variants, the design, validation and new exposure masks eat up a lot of money.
In addition, this approach means that Apple cannot put partially defective A18 Pro processors into the cheaper 16-series iPhones, which lowers the margin. After all, exposure errors creep in during every manufacturing process – not all A18 Pros produced are suitable for use in an iPhone 16 Pro.
So the question arises as to why Apple is producing its own chip for a saving of just 15 mm². The answer must be: The smaller A18 is to be produced in such large quantities for a long time that the space-saving adds up and offsets the investment of millions.
It is therefore quite possible that Apple intends to use the A18 in other iPhones and iPads. Rumor has it that the iPhone SE 4 will be released with an A18 processor.
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(mma)
