A Chinese leaker with a proven track record has shared images purportedly showing circuit diagrams for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro models. These diagrams indicate that the new A20 Pro chip may feature seven GPU cores—up from six in its predecessor—and a faster memory interface. The images, posted by Weibo user Fried White Rice, are not of the chip itself but rather show where the chip will be mounted on the circuit board. From this, the leaker draws conclusions about the chip’s performance and architecture, highlighting two main improvements.
First, the diagrams suggest six CPU cores, mirroring last year’s design: two high-performance cores and four efficiency cores. However, the cache memory for the efficiency cores appears to have been increased. The L2 cache for the smaller CPU cores has been expanded—likely from 6 MB in the A19 Pro to 8 MB—while the L2 cache for the larger cores remains unchanged at 16 MB.
Determining the exact number of GPU cores from the solder diagrams is challenging, with six, seven, and eight cores all plausible. However, the leaker concludes that seven cores is the most likely configuration. By analyzing the overall layout and solder‑ball positions, they deduce the GPU’s arrangement and explore several dozen configurations across 6, 7, and 8 core counts. Ultimately, the 7‑core GPU setup emerges as the most plausible option.
Fixed Focus Digital recently predicted that the A20 Pro chip will be 18% faster than its predecessor, with 30% better power efficiency.
We can see that the L2 cache for the small CPU cores has been increased—likely from 6 MB in the A19 Pro to 8 MB—while the L2 cache for the big CPU cores remains unchanged at 16 MB.
Digitio’s Take
Again relying on the overall outline and solder‑ball positions, we can roughly deduce the GPU’s layout and explore several dozen configurations across three core counts—6, 7, and 8 cores. Ultimately, the 7‑core GPU configuration emerges as the most plausible arrangement.
While the Weibo account has some credibility, this type of indirect inference is highly speculative. Although the conclusions are plausible, they should be viewed as informed guesses rather than definitive facts.
Images: Fried White Rice