Apple’s A20 Pro Rumored To Be Found In The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, Will Reportedly Be 70 Percent More Expensive, But Price Estimates Do Not Make Sense

TSMC recently achieved a major milestone as its 2nm trial production hit yields of 60 percent, which only means that mass production of wafers on this lithography will likely happen earlier than expected. Apple is expected to be one of the manufacturer’s lucrative clients, and has been reported to leverage the 2nm process for its A20 Pro, which will possibly be found in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. However, using cutting-edge silicon could cost the technology giant dearly, with a new report claiming that the SoC’s cost will increase by 70 percent. Then again, the pricing estimates have us puzzled, so let us talk about these figures in more detail.

New estimates claim that Apple’s A20 Pro will cost around $85, which is an exceptionally low figure for a chipset that will be mass produced on the 2nm process

Some data revealed by Economic Daily News mentions that the A20 Pro’s price will rise from $50 to $85, resulting in a 70 percent increase. However, when was the last time you heard that next-generation chips were mass produced for that low of a price? The A17 Pro, which is a whole generation old at this point, was estimated to cost Apple $130 per unit, with the A16 Bionic priced at approximately $110. Comparing these figures, either the Cupertino firm got an unbelievable deal from TSMC, or these estimations are entirely off.

According to market research firm TD Cowen, the A18 Pro powering the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s innards cost $45 to make, which we believe to be a false number. Given that TSMC’s 2nm wafers are expected to cost $30,000, there is no way that the A20 Pro would set Apple by a measly $85. However, we will agree that the prices of future chipsets will substantially increase by transitioning to more advanced lithography, but TSMC has found a way to reduce those costs by an approach called ‘CyberShuttle.’

This technique will reportedly commence in April next year and will allow companies like Apple to evaluate their chips on the same test wafer. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously mentioned that no iPhone 17 model will be treated to a 2nm A-series chip because of high wafer costs, with the iPhone 18 series being the first to feature it. Also, Kuo notes that not all iPhone 18 models will feature the A20 Pro because of their increased prices, so when it comes to the latest report’s estimates, we strongly recommend treating this figure with a pinch of salt.

News Source: Economic Daily News