Apple has just unveiled its iPhone 16 lineup with new, powerful A18 and A18 Pro chipsets built on TMSC’s second-generation 3nm technology. While it’s nice to see Apple offering a new chipset for all models, many users are waiting for Apple to move to more advanced 2nm chips. Previously, it was predicted that Apple would launch next year’s iPhone 17 Pro models with TSMC’s upcoming 2-nanometer process. However, a more recent report points to a different story.
According to renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 17 series will be equipped with processors based on TSMC’s upgraded 3-nanometer N3P chip technology. Only a few iPhone 18 models in 2026 are expected to be equipped with TMSC’s next-generation 2nm processor technology due to cost issues.
The processors for the 2025 iPhone 17 models will be manufactured using TSMC’s N3P process/3-nanometer technology. The processor for the 2026 iPhone 18 models is expected to use TSMC’s 2-nanometer technology. However, due to cost concerns, not all new iPhone 18 models may feature a…— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) September 19, 2024
You might be wondering if this is a big deal. Well, it is. For starters, the numbers “3nm” and “2nm” refer to generations of chip manufacturing technologies, and each of them has its architecture. As the number goes down, it indicates smaller transistor sizes, which allows more of them to be packed onto a single chip. This increases the processing speed and power efficiency of devices.
Last year, Apple adopted 3nm technology for its iPhones and Macs. The iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and M3 Macs are based on TSMC’s 3nm chip manufacturing process. The latest iPhone 16 models use a second-generation 3-nanometer process, making them more power-efficient and faster than the iPhone 15 models.
By the end of 2025, TSMC is expected to start manufacturing 2nm chips, and Apple is expected to be the first to receive chips made using this new process. The Taiwanese chipmaker is building two new facilities for the production of 2nm chips and is already working on the third. This indicates that TMSC has big plans for its 2nm technology. In 2023, Apple purchased the entire initial production of 3nm chips from TSMC for its iPhones, iPads, and Macs. This far-reaching partnership allows Apple to be the first to integrate cutting-edge semiconductor technology into its products, helping it stay ahead of its competitors.
With 2nm chip production scheduled for late 2025, TMSC will likely introduce several improvements to its 2nm manufacturing process. The N3E and N3P chips, based on the improved 3nm processes, are available, and several others like N3X for high-performance computing and N3AE for automotive applications are already under development.
It is worth noting that while the iPhone 18 will be the first to arrive with 2nm chips, the entire lineup will not feature a 2nm A-series SoC, as that will be an expensive affair. The iPhone 18 Pro models can be expected to feature the upcoming 2nm chips, while the regular models will use processors built on advanced 3nm technology.
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