iPhone Ultra Could Feature Redesigned Internal Layout as Purported Images of Motherboard Surface Online

Apple is expected to launch its first book-style foldable early next month. The smartphone will reportedly be marketed as the iPhone Ultra, competing with the recently unveiled Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8. The handset could be accompanied by the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The three upcoming smartphones from the Cupertino-based tech giant will reportedly be powered by Apple's next-generation A20 Pro SoC. Weeks before its official unveiling, purported images of the motherboard of the rumoured iPhone Ultra have surfaced online, hinting that the foldable might get a redesigned internal layout, which could help with thermal management.

iPhone Ultra's Motherboard Design (Expected)

X user Lusi Roy (@LusiRoy7) has shared multiple videos and images of the purported iPhone Ultra motherboard, showing the user repairing it. The images and videos reveal various details about the internal layout of Apple's first book-style foldable. The image of the phone's motherboard shows the unreleased Apple Silicon A20 Pro chipset placed next to the DRAM (via Gizmochina), instead of being stacked on top of the chip.

The A20 Pro chip and DRAM of the iPhone Ultra will reportedly be connected via a redistribution layer. Usually, the SoC and DRAM are stacked on top of each other with a conventional interposer. The redistribution layer is said to eliminate the need for an additional silicon interposer, as found on traditional designs, as it is built right into the package. This will reportedly help the foldable offer improved thermal performance.

On top of this, the image shows that Apple's A20 Pro SoC will be placed next to the battery connector on the iPhone Ultra, along with the WLAN and Bluetooth module and the power amplifier. The display connectors appear at the bottom of the motherboard, placed next to the Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC). The motherboard is also shown to feature a dedicated hinge connector and two flex cable connectors. It also shows two separate boards, one of which could be placed under either flap of the foldable.

As previously mentioned, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone Ultra, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max on or around September 9. Recently, a report revealed new details about the Apple Silicon A20 Pro chipset. The SoC is said to be the Cupertino-based tech giant's first chipset to be fabricated using TSMC's 2nm process. It is said to deliver an 18 percent performance enhancement of about 30 percent, along with greater power efficiency than its predecessor.