The iPhone 18 Pro runs on the A20 Pro, Apple’s first chip built on a 2-nanometer process, paired with the N1 wireless chip and the C2 cellular modem. All three are Apple-designed, and the same trio is in both the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Three named chips in one phone is more than Apple used to advertise, so it helps to know which one does what. Our iPhone 18 Pro announcement story has the broader picture, and our John Ternus keynote preview explains why this chip mattered for the new CEO’s first event.
A20 Pro: the main processor
The A20 Pro handles everything from the interface to the camera pipeline and Apple Intelligence. Apple’s release lists these specifications.
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- 6-core CPU: two performance cores and four efficiency cores, with integrated Neural Accelerators
- 7-core GPU, up to 40 percent faster than the A19 Pro
- Dual 16-core Neural Engine, 32 cores in total, with double the AI processing of the A19 Pro
- 50 percent more memory bandwidth than the A19 Pro
- Built on a 2-nanometer process, a first for Apple
Apple has not published clock speeds, RAM capacity or transistor count. A new vapor chamber sits directly on the chip and, by Apple’s figure, offers about three times the cooling performance of the previous design.
N1 and C2: the wireless and cellular chips
The N1 covers short-range wireless: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread for smart-home devices. The C2 is Apple’s cellular modem, and Apple says it uses 15 percent less energy than the C1X while supporting mmWave 5G in the US.
| Chip | Job | Key claim |
|---|---|---|
| A20 Pro | CPU, GPU, Neural Engine | First 2nm Apple chip, GPU up to 40 percent faster than A19 Pro |
| N1 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread | Handles all short-range wireless |
| C2 | 5G cellular modem | 15 percent less energy than C1X, mmWave 5G in the US |
Apple has not said whether mmWave is supported outside the US or published download-speed figures for the C2.
Is the A20 Pro in the iPhone Duo too?
Yes, according to the keynote. Apple said the iPhone Duo, its first foldable, uses the A20 Pro as well, though Apple has not published a press release for the Duo, so the N1 and C2 details for that phone remain unconfirmed.
For the iPhone 18 Pro, the chips are the same across the $1,199 Pro and $1,299 Pro Max and across every storage tier. Pre-orders open Saturday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PT, with delivery from Friday, September 18.
