Up until recently, Apple's upcoming A20 chip was expected to make a switch from TSMC's InFO (Integrated Fan-Out) packaging tech, which integrates components like the AP and DRAM onto a single die without the intervention of a traditional organic substrate, to the more cutting-edge WMCM (Wafer-level Multi-Chip Module) packaging, which allows for the combination of multiple individual dies - such as the CPU, GPU, and the Neural Engine - onto a single compact package, providing an unprecedented level of flexibility due to the sheer number of die configurations that then become available.

WMCM unlocks various chip configurations by employing different CPU and GPU core combos. Additionally, this packaging tech allows the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine dies to behave individually, requesting a power draw tailored to a specific task, thereby reducing the overall power consumption. Even so, its biggest advantage relates to the fact that it allows for the placement of the RAM directly onto the chip wafer alongside the processor, unlocking superior latencies.

Also, by placing all critical components on a redistribution layer and eliminating the need for a silicon interposer in the process, WMCM provides for improved heat management and a higher interconnect density.

This brings us to the core of today's topic. The tipster Jukan is now out with a scoop that the ongoing DRAM shortage - along with the concurrent increase in its price - is now compelling Apple to abandon WMCM packaging tech for the vanilla A20 chip.

As such, Apple's biggest impetus behind the packaging switch was to combine a higher RAM bit with lower latencies, which result from the on-wafer placement of the DRAM, for edge AI workloads.

Apple will reportedly retain WMCM packaging for the A20 Pro chip that is likely to power the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models. Even so, these models will not sport a bump in RAM storage. Apparently, Apple deems its existing 12GB LPDDR5 modules as sufficient for unlocking greater economies from WMCM packaging.

This also means that the base iPhone 18 is unlikely to sport a 12GB RAM, as was recently postulated in industry circles. This aligns with our recent analysis, where we showed that a 12GB LPDDR5 module will cost Apple $180 per unit in 2027, right around the time the base iPhone 18 is expected to launch, making a bump in the low-margin base model's RAM storage eminently cost-prohibitive.

By: DocMemory
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