[News] Apple Reportedly to Bring WMCM Packaging to A20 Series, Boosting iPhone 18 Thermal Efficiency

Apple’s iPhone 18 is already drawing industry attention, with rumors around its chip packaging further raising expectations. According to Wccftech, citing Weibo tipster Fixed Focus Digital, Apple may shift from InFO (Integrated Fan-Out) to WMCM (Wafer-level Multi-Chip Module) packaging for its A20 and A20 Pro chips next year—a move expected to significantly improve heat dissipation.

As highlighted by 9to5Mac, WMCM integrates components such as the SoC and DRAM at the wafer level before they are diced into individual chips. The report adds that by connecting the dies without the need for an interposer or substrate, this approach can enhance both thermal efficiency and signal integrity.

TechNews notes that the industry widely recognizes that while advanced process enhances performance and power efficiency, packaging and thermal design are equally critical to real-world performance. If the rumors prove accurate, the A20 and A20 Pro would benefit from both TSMC 2nm process and a new packaging architecture, enabling stronger sustained performance in extended gaming and AI workloads.

Notably, MoneyDJ reports that in Chiayi, Taiwan, TSMC’s AP7 site will deploy its latest advanced packaging technologies, with sources cited by the report indicating that Phase 2 is planned to operate as a WMCM production base dedicated to Apple.

Beyond the reported shift to WMCM for the A20 and A20 Pro, Wccftech notes that Apple is expected to retain a vapor-chamber cooling system in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and may further extend the same thermal solution to the iPhone Fold.

Wccftech also suggests that the performance gains of the A20 and A20 Pro could be substantial, pointing out that the A19 Pro already delivers a better experience than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, even though the latter is equipped with REDMAGIC 11 Pro’s liquid-cooling system and a dedicated fan.

Read more

• [News] Apple Reportedly Takes Most of TSMC’s 2nm Capacity for A20 Series in Foldable iPhone and iPhone 18
• [News] TSMC Speeds Advanced Packaging: AP7 Targets 2026 Output; Arizona P6 Eyed for U.S. Packaging Hub

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