Apple A20 Pro: chip size remains nearly identical to A19 Pro
According to die-shot analysis from Kurnal, the new "Apple" A20 Pro SoC features a die area of 98.722 mm². This is nearly identical to the 98.8 mm² occupied by the A19 Pro. Notably, the A20 Pro is set to be one of the first Apple chips manufactured using TSMC's 2nm process (N2 family), which typically suggests a reduction in physical size, but that is not the case here.
Performance gains through increased die area
The lack of shrinkage is due to a significant expansion of the chip's internal components. While the core configuration remains the same (2 performance and 4 efficiency cores), the hardware specifications have seen substantial upgrades:
- GPU: The number of cores has increased from 6 to 7.
- Neural Engine: The core count has doubled, moving from 16 to 32 cores.
- Memory Interface: The bus width has expanded by 50%, from 64-bit to 96-bit.
Furthermore, early benchmarks suggest higher clock speeds and larger cache sizes. Essentially, the benefits of the 2nm process—such as higher transistor density and improved efficiency—have been offset by the demand for increased raw performance.
Manufacturing context
It remains unclear which specific node within the N2 family Apple will utilize for the A20 Pro. Transitioning to new process nodes carries inherent risks, as seen with the early N3 iterations. However, the N2 family is highly anticipated, with AMD reportedly planning to leverage it for its Zen 6-based CCDs.
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