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A new report takes a closer look at the dynamics between Apple and its chip maker TSMC, which, according to several sources, is struggling with the transition to 3nm manufacturing.
The A15 processor in the iPhone 13 is manufactured using a 5nm process. TSMC is in the middle of switching to a 3nm manufacturing process, but is facing challenges that reported The Information. If the iPhone 14 were equipped with new 3nm chips, Apple could "incorporate more powerful, less power-hungry processors into its devices without drastically increasing their size," the report states. However, TSMC is not expected to be able to literally shrink the processors in time for next year's iPhone 14. The report states:
iPhone 14: Will the switchover be delayed?
The result of TSMC's troubles is that the iPhone's processor will sit on the same chip manufacturing process for three years in a row, including next year, for the first time in its history, according to an analysis of Apple's chips to date by The Information. That, in turn, could cause some customers to delay upgrading their devices for another year, giving Apple's competitors a little more time to catch up.
Despite these delays, TSMC is expected to be the first to reach the 3nm mark, ahead of other chip makers such as Intel and Qualcomm. Previous reports had suggested that Apple could use 3nm chips in some of its products in 2022. But if today's report proves true, that's unlikely. (Image: Jon Prosser x Rendersbyan)
