Apple put A20 Pro in iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Duo on September 9. The spec sheet is short. Six CPU cores. Seven GPU cores. A Dual 16-core Neural Engine. 2-nanometer process. Every percentage Apple quotes names last year’s A19 Pro.
What the iPhone 18 Pro spec page lists
On Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro tech specs, A20 Pro is:
- 6-core CPU with 2 super cores and 4 efficiency cores
- 7-core GPU with Neural Accelerators
- Dual 16-core Neural Engine
- Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
The September 9 Newsroom post also says the 6-core CPU has “integrated Neural Accelerators.” The spec page puts Neural Accelerators on the GPU line. Apple has not given a separate number for those accelerators.
Last year’s iPhone 17 Pro spec for A19 Pro is a 6-core CPU (2 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), a 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Also with hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
Core counts on four Pro chips
CPU count has not moved in four generations. GPU went from six cores to seven. Neural Engine went from 16 cores to 32.
| Chip | Phones | CPU | GPU | Neural Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A20 Pro | iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo | 6 (2 super, 4 efficiency) | 7, Neural Accelerators | Dual 16-core (32) |
| A19 Pro | iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max | 6 (2 performance, 4 efficiency) | 6, Neural Accelerators | 16-core |
| A19 Pro | iPhone Air | 6 | 5, Neural Accelerators | 16-core |
| A18 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max | 6 | 6 | 16-core |
| A17 Pro | iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max | 6 | 6 | 16-core |
These rows are from Apple’s spec and comparison pages, not from a lab test. Apple has not published a figure that compares A20 Pro with A18 Pro or A17 Pro.
Percentages Apple published against A19 Pro
No test conditions sit next to any of these. No app name. No temperature. Treat them as Apple’s own generation-to-generation claims.
| Claim | Compared with | Where Apple wrote it |
|---|---|---|
| 50% more memory bandwidth | A19 Pro | iPhone 18 Pro Newsroom, iPhone Duo page |
| 7-core GPU up to 40% faster | A19 Pro | iPhone 18 Pro Newsroom, iPhone Duo page |
| Double the AI processing power | A19 Pro | iPhone 18 Pro Newsroom (Dual 16-core Neural Engine, 32 cores) |
| 6-core CPU up to 20% faster | A19 Pro | iPhone Duo page only |
| Sustained performance up to 40% higher | Previous generation | iPhone 18 Pro Newsroom, with the new vapor chamber |
| Sustained performance up to 35% higher | iPhone 17 Pro | iPhone Duo page (same A20 Pro, different chassis) |
A19 Pro is not one GPU. iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have a 6-core GPU. iPhone Air has a 5-core GPU. Apple does not say which of those two the 40% graphics claim is measured against.
Side-by-side memory and the vapor chamber
A20 Pro uses packaging Apple says is inspired by M-series chips. The silicon die sits next to the memory, not under it. Memory is out of the thermal path. The die can sit against a next-generation vapor chamber.
That chamber has three times the surface area of the one in iPhone 17 Pro. New materials as well. Apple ties the up-to-40% sustained figure to that pairing, not to the core counts alone.
iPhone Duo gets the same A20 Pro and its own vapor chamber. Apple’s Duo number is up to 35% better sustained performance than iPhone 17 Pro. Same chip name. Not the same phone.
Which phones get A20 Pro
Pre-orders for iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max started September 12. Sale date is Friday, September 18. iPhone Duo is later: pre-order October 16, on sale October 23.
| Phone | Chip | On sale | Battery hours Apple lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro | A20 Pro | September 18 | Typical use up to 24 hours. Video playback up to 36 hours. Streamed video up to 33 hours. |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | A20 Pro | September 18 | Typical use up to 30 hours. Video playback up to 45 hours. Streamed video up to 40 hours. |
| iPhone Duo | A20 Pro | October 23 | Typical use up to 24 hours. Video on the outer display up to 44 hours. Video on the inner display up to 31 hours. |
The 36-hour and 45-hour video numbers in the Newsroom post are for eSIM-only models. Wired charge to 50% is listed as around 15 minutes with a 60W-capable adapter that supports Adjustable Voltage Supply, plus a USB-C cable. MagSafe to 50% is 30 minutes with a 35W or higher adapter.
Next to A20 Pro, Apple lists two other chips. N1 handles Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. C2 is the cellular modem. Apple says C2 uploads are faster than C1X, uses 15% less energy, and adds mmWave in the U.S.
What this chip is for on iOS 27
Apple says the Dual 16-core Neural Engine is there for on-device AI models and computational photography. iPhone 18 Pro also gets Siri AI in beta with iOS 27, plus Apple Intelligence. Heavier work still goes to Private Cloud Compute. The chip does not, by itself, prove better photos. The new 48MP Fusion Main camera and the imaging pipeline sit on top of it.
If you already have iPhone 17 Pro, the published chip story is one extra GPU core, a second 16-core Neural Engine, more memory bandwidth, and a larger vapor chamber. If you have iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro, Apple has not given you a percentage. The core table is the only official comparison.
What Apple has not published
No clock speeds. No transistor count. No die size. No RAM capacity in gigabytes. No memory bus width. The 2-nanometer line does not name a foundry. There is no Geekbench score on Apple’s pages.
This piece is a reading of the spec sheet and the September 9 posts. iPhone 18 Pro is not in stores until September 18. Independent sustained tests are not here yet.
Photo: Apple
Source: Apple Newsroom, iPhone 18 Pro tech specs, iPhone 17 Pro tech specs, iPhone Duo
