Apple's iPhone 18 Pro offers a redesigned thermal system that's much larger and much better at dissipating heat generated by the powerful A20 Pro chip.
The A20 Pro features a six-core CPU with two super cores that are up to 20% faster, along with four efficiency cores. There's also a seven-core GPU for faster graphics rendering, offering up to a 40% increase in performance over the A19 Pro, along with a dual Neural Engine setup.
Apple has also redesigned the physical package of the silicon for the A20 Pro chip. Custom packaging, inspired by M-series chips, means that the A20 Pro silicon die is located side-by-side with the memory. Apple says this removes the memory from the thermal path of the system-on-chip and allows the chip to be connected directly to the improved vapor chamber.
The company says thermal performance has been greatly improved, thanks to the A20 Pro's new thermal packaging. The updated thermal design will come in handy for graphics-intensive games, high-throughput cellular connections, and more.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro features an improved vapor chamber to help the system manage heat. This enhanced vapor chamber system is made with 80% recycled steel and has a surface area that is three times larger than the one in the iPhone 17 Pro.
Along with steel and thermally conductive graphite, Apple has also used a nano-twin copper material that is better at moving heat away from the iPhone 18 Pro display. Apple says the new thermal system offers a 40% gain in performance, compared to the iPhone 17 Pro, and claims it's two times better than that of the iPhone 16 Pro.
With all of these performance improvements, the iPhone 18 Pro looks like a great option for those looking to upgrade from an older iPhone.
