Apple is finally expected to launch its first foldable smartphone in 2027, and it could also come with the company's first 2nm chip.
iPhone 17 Pro Max (pictured) is powered by a 3nm A19 chip
Apple will equip its next generation of iPhone models with 2nm chipsets, according to details shared by a tipster on Weibo, the Chinese microblogging platform. The purported A20 and A20 Pro chipsets from Apple are expected to power, the iPhone 18 lineup and the first foldable iPhone. While the standard model could be equipped with a 2nm A20 chip, the Pro models and the horizontally folding iPhone Fold could feature a more capable A20 Pro processor. A recent report also sheds some light on Apple's tentative launch timeline for next-gen smartphones. The company reportedly plans to unveil a phone with a new form factor every year between 2026 and 2028.
In a post on Weibo, a tipster known as Mobile Phone Chip Expert (translated from Chinese) claims that next year's iPhone 18 will be powered by a chip built using on a 2nm process technology. The chip for the standard iPhone 18 model, which is expected to be the A20 chip, is said to be codenamed 'Borneo'.
Meanwhile, the rumoured iPhone Fold could feature a chip codenamed Borneo Ultra, as per the tipster, who cites a person in charge of Apple's integrated circuit design division. This chip could be marketed as the A20 Pro, which might also be present on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
This is said to be Apple's first chip to be built on a 2nm process. Many tech firms are said to be working on 2nm chipsets, including Samsung. The South Korean tech giant's Exynos 2600 SoC is also expected to be fabricated on a 2nm process. Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, which was recently launched, is manufactured on a TSMC's 3nm process.
Apple's current flagship iPhone 17 series is powered by the company's proprietary A19 and A19 Pro chips, manufactured using TSMC's 3nm process. Recently, a tipster shared the approximate launch timeline of three new iPhone models that could be unveiled by the company over the next three years.
The Cupertino company is finally expected to launch its first foldable phone, the iPhone Fold. The handset will reportedly feature a minimal crease design. It is said to sport an LTPO+ flexible OLED display that unfolds into a bigger display, estimated to be roughly the size of an iPad Mini. Moreover, the iPhone 18 lineup could also be unveiled in the same year, featuring the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
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