Forget iPhone 17 — iPhone 18 could get this huge upgrade

The iPhone 17 is around six months from release, but it may be worth holding off a year for the next generation if you can. The analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has not only doubled down on his prediction from six months ago that Apple will introduce 2nm chips for the iPhone 18 Pro, but suggested that regular models may now also be in line for the upgrade.

“Reiterating my prediction from six months ago: the 2H26 new iPhones (iPhone 18) will be powered by TSMC’s 2nm chips,” he wrote on X.

While he states this is a reiteration of the earlier message, it’s slightly different. In September, he added, "Due to cost concerns, not all new iPhone 18 models may be equipped with a 2-nanometer processor.” That caveat isn’t repeated here, suggesting that even the regular iPhone 18 will benefit from the upgrade — something other analysts have previously predicted.

Assuming we’re not reading too much into what is admittedly an ambiguous sentence, the reason for this might be revealed in the second part of the post. “Worth noting, TSMC’s 2nm R&D trial yields reached 60–70% three months ago, and they’re now well above that,” Kuo wrote.

In this context, “yield” refers to the proportion of functional chips used per silicon wafer. A higher number is more cost-effective, for obvious reasons, and in the past, hardware from various companies has been delayed due to poor yields. That doesn’t sound like it will be a problem with the A20 chip.

While buyers can still expect a performance boost from newer chips built to the same fabrication process, reducing the size makes things much easier. The lower the nanometer value, the tighter packed the transistors, meaning quicker signal travel for faster performance and greater efficiency.

This doesn’t mean that the iPhone 17 will be worth skipping. The iPhone 17 Pro sounds like a solid upgrade from the iPhone 16 Pro, with a series of impressive sound improvements.

If current rumors are to be believed, you can expect a bold new design to accompany a faster chipset with better performance under pressure, more RAM, a new 48MP telephoto lens, better selfies and faster charging. We’ll find out if these are true in September, when the iPhone 17 family is unveiled, probably alongside the Apple Watch 11.

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