TL;DR
- The Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMC should begin with the trial production of the 2nm fabrication process in 2025.
- Even though the assembly lines might be ready for timely production, Apple is likely to stick to the 3nm technology for the iPhone 17.
Initially, we heard rumors about how the iPhone 17 (expected to come out in September 2025) will be based on TSMC’s 2nm fabrication technology. Making the size of transistors even smaller than they are in the 3nm process, 2nm would have allowed Apple to include more transistors on the chip while reducing the power consumption, making the chips more powerful and, at the same time, more efficient.
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Baseline iPhone 18 Models Might Stick With N3P Technology
However, renowned supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via 9To5Mac) believes that Apple won’t use the 2nm fabrication technology until 2026 on the iPhone 18. Since the company will be among the first adopters of the technology, it could be expensive for end users. Hence, only the more expensive iPhone 18 Pro models may feature Apple’s 2nm in-house chip. The baseline iPhone 18 models should stick with N3P technology.
Trial Production WitheTHe 2nm Process To Begin In 2025
The Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMC should begin with the trial production of the 2nm fabrication process in 2025, followed by commercial production later the same year. Even though the assembly lines might be ready for timely production, Apple is likely to stick to the 3nm technology for the iPhone 17.
Similarly, Apple won’t adopt the 2nm technology for its MacBooks and iPads until 2026. For those catching up, TSMC employed the 3nm fabrication technology in 2022, but Apple skipped it for its iPhone 14 series and instead used the N4 process, which is a part of the 5nm technology family.
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Apple’s Shifting From A 2-Year To A 3-Year Process Cycle
From what it looks like, Apple is moving from a two-year production cycle to a three-year production cycle (with reference to the fabrication technology). From 2020 to 2022, Apple used the 5nm fabrication process for its A-series chipsets. In 2023, the company shifted to TSMC’s groundbreaking 3nm process. Now, it is expected to hold onto the process for another year and shift to the new-age 2nm technology in 2028.
- Apple will benefit from TSMC’s mature 3nm process and supply chain, which will minimize any potential production delays.
- Spending more time with the fabrication process will allow both companies to optimize it, resulting in a more powerful and efficient version that might be used on the iPhone 17.
- Since TSMC has been producing 3nm chips for over two years now, the company can easily optimize its production costs, which will help contract partners reduce their manufacturing costs.
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