Nikkei Asia, a news agency from Asia, have reported that Apple look set to be the first to adopt Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s (TSMC) N3 (3nm) fabrication process as soon as the second half of next year.
The report from Nikkei Asia reads, “Nanometer refers to the width between transistors on a chip. The smaller the number, the more advanced the chip, but also the more challenging and expensive they are to build. The most advanced chip production tech being used for consumer products today is TSMC’s 5-nm technology, which is used for all iPhone 12 processor chips.”
The current M1 chip that is running on the Apple Silicon Macs and the new iPad Pro is running on a 5nm architecture, similar to the A14 Bionic chip that powers the iPhone 12 series and the iPad Air. According to TSMC, the 3nm technology can increase performance by 10%-15% compared to the 5nm and also reduce power consumption by 25%-30%.
“Apple’s iPad will likely be the first devices powered by processors made using 3-nm technology, sources said. The next generation of iPhones, which are to roll out next year, are expected to make use of the intermediate 4-nm tech for scheduling reasons”, read the report.
Apple will start to adopt the 3nm fabrication for all their Apple Silicon chips including the iPhone, iPad and Mac. It is still unclear if the next gen chip will make its debut in an iPad Air or an iPad Pro but the timing seems to point towards an iPad Pro. The upcoming A15 chip is built on the 5nm process and is already in production so we will have to wait for this next gen chip.
