Apple has emerged the first adopter of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)’s next-generation 3-nanometer (3-nm) chip production technology ahead of its deployment as early as next year, Nikkei Asia reports, citing “several sources briefed on the matter.”
Cheng Ting-Fang and Lauly Li for Nikkei Asia:
Nanometer refers to the width between transistors on a chip. The smaller the number, the more advanced the chip, but also the more challenging and expensive they are to build. The most advanced chip production tech being used for consumer products today is TSMC’s 5-nm technology, which is used for all iPhone 12 processor chips [and M1 Macs and iPad Pros].
According to TSMC, 3-nm technology can increase computing performance by 10% to 15% compared with 5-nm, while reducing power consumption by 25% to 30%.
Apple’s iPad will likely be the first devices powered by processors made using 3-nm technology, sources said. The next generation of iPhones, which are to roll out next year, are expected to make use of the intermediate 4-nm tech for scheduling reasons…
Intel, America’s biggest chipmaker, is working with TSMC on at least two 3-nm projects to design central processing units for notebooks and data center servers in an attempt to regain market share it has lost to Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia over the past few years. Mass production of these chips is expected to begin by the end of 2022 at the earliest.
For Intel, which both designs and manufactures chips, the collaboration with TSMC is aimed at tiding the company over until it can get its own in-house production technology on track. The company has delayed the introduction of its own 7-nm production technology to around 2023…
MacDailyNews Take: iPhone are going to set new records with 4-nm Apple Silicon and iPad Pro will be waiting int the wings to go even faster with a 3-nm Apple-designed chip!