iPhone 16 Lineup Will Feature A18 and A18 Pro Chips, Analyst Says

All four iPhone 16 models will be equipped with A18-branded chips, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain.

iPhone 16 Side Feature
In a research note with investment firm Haitong International Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, Pu said "we view A17 Pro as a transition design and now expect all the iPhone 16 models to feature A18, on TSMC's N3E."

In response to our email, Pu clarified his expectations, as outlined below:

  • iPhone 16: A18 chip (N3E)
  • iPhone 16 Plus: A18 chip (N3E)
  • iPhone 16 Pro: A18 Pro chip (N3E)
  • iPhone 16 Pro Max: A18 Pro chip (N3E)

Given the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are equipped with the A16 Bionic chip, a jump to the A18 chip for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus would be notable.

N3E refers to TSMC's second-generation 3nm chip fabrication process, which is less expensive and has improved yield compared to TSMC's first-generation 3nm process, N3B, which is used for the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro models.

Given that the iPhone 16 lineup is around a year away from launching, Pu is likely making an educated guess here with the marketing names, so it remains to be seen if Apple actually moves forward with A18 and A18 Pro branding. It is still possible that Apple could brand its iPhone 16 chips as the A17 and A18 Pro, mirroring recent years.

Pu was the first source to report that Apple had abandoned its plans for solid-state buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro models. He also accurately revealed that the iPhone 15 Pro models would be equipped with an increased 8GB of RAM, and that the iPhone 15 Pro Max would have a higher starting price than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16
Tags: Jeff Pu, TSMC
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
iPhone 16e Bottom Crop

Apple Reportedly Unveiling a New iPhone Next Week

Tuesday February 10, 2026 1:51 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report said the iPhone 17e will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, so do not expect an event for this device specifically. The iPhone 17e will be a spec-bumped successor to the iPhone 16e. Rumors claim the device will have four key...
Apple Logo Black

Apple Acquires New Database App

Wednesday February 11, 2026 6:44 am PST by
Apple acquired Canadian graph database company Kuzu last year, it has emerged. The acquisition, spotted by AppleInsider, was completed in October 2025 for an undisclosed sum. The company's website was subsequently taken down and its Github repository was archived, as is commonplace for Apple acquisitions. Kuzu was "an embedded graph database built for query speed, scalability, and easy of ...

Top Rated Comments

phill85 Avatar
31 months ago
This just in: Water is wet

-analyst
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ultracyclist Avatar
31 months ago

This just in: Water is wet

-analyst
This analist is totally wrong.

Water isn't wet.

Wet is the status an object becomes after it comes into contact with a fluid and some residue remains on the object.
As water is not an object it by itself can't be wet.
But, there is one way for water to become wet.

Does anyone know the answer?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
31 months ago
They will be way hotter than the A17 Pro, we know you will love them! /s
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
31 months ago

I can't believe I actually called this...
It’s called macrumors. 10% news 10% ?????? Hurry report what the analyst says.
And that’s why we love it. It’s an Apple fans terrible Monday afternoon soap opera.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheAppleFan2004 Avatar
31 months ago
I can't believe I actually called this...
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
31 months ago
My sources claim that it will be coming next autumn...
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)