A leaked iPhone 18 Pro motherboard points to a new A20 Pro packaging approach—Wafer-level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM)—with chiplets arranged to spread heat rather than stack it. The same leak also claims LPDDR6 memory with a wider 96-bit bus and a significantly e
The iPhone 18 Pro is still months away, but a leaked motherboard image already has a very specific promise: it could be faster—and cooler.
Over the weekend. a supposed photo of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max internals circulated on Weibo. shared by leakers identified as WhyLab and Ice Universe. The images focus on the chip at the center of the phone. and both leakers say it is an A20 Pro packaged using a technique called Wafer-level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM).
WMCM, as described in the leak, would represent a major shift from the approach Apple has been using. Integrated Fan-Out (InFO) has been the reference point for earlier iPhone Pro chips. with Apple previously packing DRAM on top of the application processor in the A19 and earlier designs. The advantage of that stacking, the leak notes, is minimal latency between the two components and reduced power usage.
But the trade-off is heat. Stacking concentrates heat generation into one area, which can make the chip more prone to throttling. In the leaked diagram. WMCM is shown with chiplets placed close together for fast communications—yet not stacked the same way. Instead, the DRAM appears positioned to the side of the other chip components.
That rearrangement is the heart of the cooler-running claim. By keeping speed benefits while avoiding the same degree of compact stacking. the leak suggests heat generation would be spread out across a wider area. In practical terms. it says that reduces the risk of thermal throttling and makes managing heat buildup easier because there’s more surface area to work with.
The leak’s expectations don’t stop at the chip layout. It points to the iPhone 17 Pro’s vapor chamber cooling, describing it as having been effective. Combined with the alleged A20 Pro packaging change. that sets up a clear storyline: a very powerful chip paired with more thorough thermal management.
There’s also a production angle buried in the hardware details. WMCM’s use of smaller chiplets, the leak says, opens the possibility of Apple producing more A20 variants. Instead of forcing multiple chips to include all the component parts on one die. Apple could make different chiplet types and mix-and-match them to fit production needs.
The leak adds one more manufacturing benefit: the technique could help Apple save some production costs through a lower amount of chip wastage. Even with the packaging shift, it claims the overall chip size is roughly the same as the A19 Pro’s footprint.
Memory and Neural Engine changes
Ice Universe’s input goes beyond packaging. The leak says Apple is using LPDDR6 memory with a 96-bit bus. which would be a 50% increase from the 64-bit width of LPDDR5 and LPDDR5X used in earlier models. It argues that a wider bus could improve overall bandwidth—if the memory’s frequency and efficiency are also high.
On the compute side, Ice Universe also points to changes in the NPU area, referencing the Neural Engine. The Neural Engine segment is described as massively expanded compared to previous generations, with the implication that it will be more useful for on-device AI processing than ever before.
Where the image might have come from
Leaks of this kind usually don’t come with a clear origin. The supply chain for leaks is murky, and the source of a diagram can be hard to verify. But this time, the leak argues the provenance might be easier to trace.
On June 23, a Tata iPhone factory was hacked, and a significant amount of data was stolen. AppleInsider reports it was able to confirm that the files included logic board designs for the iPhone 18 Pro and A20 Pro data sheets. The leak stresses that it isn’t clear if the circulated image is directly from that breach—but it says it is likely.
iPhone 18 Pro A20 Pro WMCM InFO LPDDR6 96-bit bus Neural Engine NPU vapor chamber cooling Weibo leak Tata iPhone factory hack iPhone 18 ProMax