The A19 chip in this year's iPhone 17 family has turned out to be fairly powerful, and next year's A20 processors could be even better, especially if the chip moves to a 2nm process as anticipated. Unfortunately, that extra power could come at a higher cost.
A leaker on Weibo, Mobile Phone Chip Expert (MPCE), posted potential plans for next year's iPhone 19 series. According to the post, the new chip will be built on TSMC's 2nm process which should make for a more efficient and powerful chipset, as it will mean more densely packed transistors than the 3nm A19 chipset found in the current iPhones.
The standard A20 chip is tipped for the base iPhone 18, while the high-end A20 Pro processor is meant for the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and the rumored iPhone Fold.
Surprisingly, the report makes no mention of an iPhone Air follow-up. It's rumored the ultra-thin handset has not sold well for Apple — the Galaxy S25 Edge from Samsung has reportedly suffered the same fate — and the company is already cutting production.
If the Air 2 isn't cancelled, the current model utilizes the A19 Pro. Presumably, its successor would follow suit. with the A20 Pro.
As for the Fold, up to now, it hasn't been clear what chip might power Apple's first foldable. The company has been rumored to optimize iOS 27 for a foldable device, but it was unknown if Apple would do the same with an A-series chip variant or stick with its two-tiered chip system.
More expensive
Either way, the next Apple chip may come with a significant price increase. According to a report from the China Times, semiconductors have gotten more expensive, especially as demand and fabrication processes have led to increased costs for TSMC, Apple's primary chip partner.
Apparently, TSMC has heavily invested in the development of the new 2nm process and isn't willing to discount or negotiate on the price of chips made using it.
Instead, the company is reportedly going to raise prices at least 50% higher than what it's charged for the 3nm process. Neither Apple or TSMC have disclosed financial details of their partnership, but this could lead to significant price increases.
This isn't a guarantee that Apple will raise prices on the iPhone 18 series. Over the last couple of years, the tech giant has kept pricing relatively the same.
The base model iPhone 17, for example, starts at $799, which matches what the iPhone 16 started at. And the iPhone 17 contains twice the storage, with 256GB in its base model.
The iPhone Fold would be a different matter, with leaks claiming it may cost around $2,000, similar to what Samsung charges for its Galaxy Z Fold 7.
But at some point, Apple is going to raise prices and more expensive chips may be the tipping point.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
