According to an authoritative source who has made accurate predictions about Apple’s plans, Apple’s 2026 iPhone will use TSMC’s next-generation 2-nanometer manufacturing process combined with a new packaging method that will integrate 12 GB of RAM.

In a post on Weibo on Tuesday, Chinese-speaking user “Phone Chip Expert” reported that Apple’s A20 chip in the iPhone 18 models will replace the previous InFo (Integrated Fan Output) packaging with WMCM (Wafer Level Multi-Chip Module). packaging and memory will be increased to 12 GB.

In terms of packaging method differences, InFo allows components, including memory, to be integrated into the package, but focuses more on single-die packaging, where memory is typically connected to the host system on the processor (e.g., placing DRAM on or near the processor). CPU and GPU cores). It is optimized to reduce the size and increase the performance of individual chips.

WMCM, on the other hand, is great for integrating multiple chips into a single package (hence the “Multi-Crystal Module” part). This method allows more complex systems such as CPUs, GPUs, DRAM, and other specialized accelerators (such as AI/ML chips) to be tightly integrated into a single package. This provides greater flexibility in positioning different types of chips, stacking them vertically or side by side, and also optimizes communication between them.

As for memory, all current iPhone 16 models have 8GB of RAM, which is considered the minimum requirement for Apple Intelligence. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects next year’s iPhone 17 Pro to have 12GB of RAM, so Apple could make this the new standard for the next iPhone 18 series.

However, Kuo also believes that due to cost concerns, only the “Pro” models in the iPhone 18 series will likely use TSMC’s next-generation 2nm technology. Meanwhile, it’s unclear whether manufacturing technology and memory size are inextricably intertwined in Apple’s plans.

Nanometer generations

Terms like “3nm” and “2nm” describe next-generation chip manufacturing technologies, each with its own design rules and architecture. As these numbers decrease, they generally indicate smaller transistor sizes. Smaller transistors allow more to fit on a single chip, which generally results in increased processing speed and increased power efficiency. This year’s iPhone 16 series is based on the A18 chip design, created using the second-generation 3nm “N3E” technology process.

TSMC plans to start producing 2nm chips in late 2025, and Apple is expected to be the first company to receive chips produced using the new process. TSMC often builds new factories when it needs to increase production capacity to meet large chip orders, and TSMC is expanding significantly with 2nm technology.

Phone Chip Expert Liquor has a track record of accurate predictions. They were the first to correctly reveal that the standard iPhone 14 models would continue to use the A15 Bionic chip, while the more advanced A16 chip would be exclusive to the “iPhone 14” Pro models. They were the first to recently report that Apple is developing its own AI server processor with TSMC’s 3nm process, aiming for mass production by the second half of 2025.