iPhone 15 Expected to Use a 3nm A17 Chip
The iPhone 14 hasn't even been released yet, but Apple is already looking to next year and a shift from 5nm to 3nm chips for the iPhone 15.
The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max use a 5nm A16 Bionic processor, where as the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus use a 5nm A15 chip. According to Nikkei Asia(Opens in a new window), "sources briefed on the matter" believe Apple is going to be the first to use TSMC's new 3nm N3E technology for next year's A17 processor.
TSMC started spending heavily on 3nm chip production back in 2018 when it set aside $19.5 billion for a new factory in Southern Taiwan Science Park in Tainan. Despite the pandemic and ongoing supply chain problems, TSMC aims to start mass producing 3nm chips(Opens in a new window) using its N3 technology in the second half of this year.
However, Apple apparently wants TSMC's more advanced N3E production technology for the A17 chip it will use in the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max models. It's currently unclear when TSMC will be capable of mass production using N3E, but with the iPhone 15 not expected to launch until September 2023, there's still plenty of time to bring it online and ramp up capacity.
As with all so-called "node strides," moving from 5nm to 3nm brings with it some major benefits for Apple. TSMC is claiming up to a 70% logic density gain, 15% speed improvement, and 30% power reduction. For iPhone 15, that means a faster phone, with longer battery life, and a bit more space inside the case for new technology.
If Apple needs a backup plan in case TSMC can't deliver, then Samsung may be the only other viable source of 3nm chips next year. The company announced initial production of 3nm chips had begun back in June.
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