A new report today from The Information notes that TSMC is struggling in its transition to 3nm manufacturing, meaning that Apple’s “iPhone 14” likely won’t feature 3nm chips.
3nm chips will allow Apple to include more powerful, less energy-hungry processors in its devices without dramatically increasing their size.
The A15 processor in the iPhone 13 is manufactured a 5nm process. TSMC is in the midst of transitioning to a 3nm manufacturing technique, but is facing challenges in doing so.
If the iPhone 14 were to feature new 3nm chips, Apple would be able to include “more powerful, less energy-hungry processors in its devices without dramatically increasing their size,” the report says. TSMC’s processor shrink, however, is not expected to happen in time for next year’s iPhone 14.
Despite these delays, TSMC is still expected to be the first to reach 3 nanometers, ahead of other chipmakers such as Intel and Qualcomm. Previous reporting had indicated that Apple could use 3nm chips in some of its 2022 products, but if today’s report pans out, that is unlikely to be the case.
MacDailyNews Take: The Information‘s paywalled report, “Apple and Its Favorite Chipmaker Get Closer”, is here.
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