Apple explains how new iPhones delivers faster performance without overheating
What's the story
Apple's latest iPhone models, the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, along with the iPhone Duo, use a new system-on-a-chip (SoC) called the A20 Pro. The chip is designed to handle demanding tasks like on-device Siri AI calculations and computational photography algorithms. However, the challenge was to manage heat dissipation effectively due to limited internal space. In an interview with PCMag, Apple's teams has explained how A20 Pro delivers higher performance while managing heat to keep your phone from overheating.
Design innovation
A look at the design of the A20 Pro
The A20 Pro chip borrows some of its design elements from Apple's M-class chips, which power Macs.
However, unlike traditional phone chips that are stacked vertically to save space on the logic board, the A20 Pro uses a wafer-level multichip module (WMCM) design.
This places the DRAM module next to the processor instead of on top, allowing for faster data speeds and better heat dissipation.
Chip capabilities
What else is new?
The A20 Pro chip, Apple's first 2nm design for phones, offers higher transistor density, improved power efficiency, and better performance.
It has two super-cores for short workloads and four efficiency cores for background tasks. The company claims a 20% performance improvement with this chip.
The GPU of the A20 Pro also gets a second-generation neural accelerator that boosts throughput by 50%.
Enhanced features
Neural engine and display features
The A20 Pro chip has two banks of 16 cores each for its neural engine, doubling the count from the previous model. This allows for on-device AI calculations.
The iPhone Duo variant of the A20 Pro features a second display engine to support simultaneous operation of inner and outer displays, ensuring a smooth user experience across both screens.
Cooling strategy
Apple has redesigned its thermal management system
To manage the heat generated by the powerful A20 Pro chip, Apple has completely redesigned its thermal management system.
The company used a new material called "metal over foam" as a bridge between the chip and vapor chamber.
The vapor chamber itself is three times larger than that of its predecessor in the iPhone 17 Pro, with more de-ionized water inside to cycle heat throughout its structure.
Display enhancement
New display metal plate material
Apple has also applied a new layer to the back of the screen, called nanotwin copper, as its new display metal plate material.
This unique piece provides the combination of mechanical strength required for the display and high thermal conductivity that hasn't been seen in any smartphone before.
A high-conductivity graphite layer is also applied to improve heat spread across the display and reduce hotspots.
Addressing challenges
Using iPhone Duo's hinge for heat dissipation
While much of the thermal engineering applies to all three phones, the iPhone Duo presented unique challenges.
Apple developed thinner vapor chamber for the foldable, integrated with A20 Pro but positioned to float rather than serve as central structural component.
Although the Duo is exceptionally thin when unfolded, its thickness doubles when closed, complicating heat management.
To address this, Apple routed flexible graphite pipe through the hinge, transferring heat between both halves and expanding the surface area for heat dissipation.