Apple M3 For MacBook Air, Future iPad Pro Models Now Rumored To Be Mass Produced On TSMC’s Next-Generation N3E Process

wccftech.com:

A plan to announce several MacBook models from Apple has been on the cards for a few months now. Firstly, we should be greeted by a larger 15-inch MacBook Air, along with a smaller version, and according to the latest rumor, both these and more will be powered by TSMC’s more advanced N3E process. For those that are confused, the Taiwanese manufacturer is said to have an N3 process, which is the company’s first offering for clients as they gravitate to 3nm technology.

Apple is said to go all alone on its 3nm journey, according to a machine-translated report published by China Times. The information apparently states that TSMC’s entire supply has been ordered by the iPhone maker, meaning that it will be the first company in the world to release any SoC based on an advanced manufacturing process. However, where we kept hearing rumors that the A17 Bionic and M3 would be fabricated on TSMC’s 3nm, or N3 process, the report states that the new chipset for Apple’s ARM-powered notebooks will be made on N3E.

Oftentimes, there can be confusion with TSMC’s naming schemes, so let us break it down for you. The manufacturer’s N3 process is said to be its first 3nm iteration, while N3E will be an improved version. What the report seems to imply is that Apple will jump straight to the second iteration for the M3 SoC that will eventually be found in the MacBook Air and iPad Pro lineup. This can mean that the new silicon will deliver slightly better performance and power efficiency stats than the regular N3 process.

There was only one other report that we stumbled upon, mentioning Apple relying on TSMC’s N3E node for the M3 and A17 Bionic, and that was published on Nikkei, while others insist that the N3 technology will be used for both