The next major step for Apple chips could happen next year

Macworld

According to a report by DigiTimes (subscription required), chip maker TSMC is on schedule with its 2nm manufacturing process, which could mean that Apple will start using 2nm chips as soon as next year.

TSMC may be able to start trial runs of 2nm later this year, with small production runs following that, and larger production starting later in 2025. The timing seems to indicate that the A19 processor in the 2025 iPhone Pro would be the first 2nm chip. That could be followed by a 2nm M4 chip in the MacBook Pro and iMac, and maybe any other Mac if it did not get an M3 upgrade (the Mac mini, in particular).

DigiTimes also reports that TSMC is already working on the production process after 2nm, which is 1.4nm. Production of 1.4nm chips isn’t expected until 2027. Also, TSMC was granted more funding by the U.S. government through the CHIPS Act, according to Ars Technica on Monday. TSMC will be building three fabrication plants in Arizona.

While a report that TSMC is on schedule seems mundane, it’s significant in the context of the initial rollout of Apple’s M-series chips, which occurred in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic affected the supply chain, which in turn prolonged production and prevented TSMC and Apple from setting a consistent schedule. Now that the pandemic is over, a regular release pattern has developed.

TSMC is the chip manufacturer for Apple, and this report follows a DigiTimes report from January that stated that Apple has committed to TSMC’s 2nm process, which was demonstrated to Apple last December. With the 2nm process, TSMC is switching from fin field-effect transistors (FinFET) to gate-all-around field-effect transistors (GAAFET). The switch should allow for an improvement in performance with better power efficiency.

The nanometer (nm) process refers to the production of the chip, and 2nm allows for increased transistor density over the previous 3nm and 5nm processes. The higher the transistor density, the better the performance, and the process can also result in better power efficiency. Apple uses 3nm chips with the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the M3 in the iMac, MacBook Air, and 14-inch MacBook Pro, and the M3 Pro and Max in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

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