Apple's current range of devices rely on 5nm chips, but just three years from now, new iPhone, iPad, and Mac models could be shipping with 2nm chips inside.
That's because key Apple chip partner TSMC is planning to shift production to a 2nm GAA process in 2025. But as MacRumors reports (via DigiTimes), we won't have to wait that long for Apple's devices to enjoy a jump in performance.
TSMC is also planning to begin mass production of 3nm chips later this year, with Apple and Intel expected to be the first clients. It means the iPhone 14 could potentially make the jump to 3nm, offering Apple a significant bump in performance, battery life, or a mix of both in its new smartphone. TSMC says 3nm translates to a potential 15% performance improvement and 30% power reduction for the chips. 2nm could offer similar gains when it arrives.
As Apple has moved to using its own processor designs across all device types, the move to 3nm could happen very quickly for iDevices. The Apple M2 chip still remains a bit of a mystery, though. Initially it may use a 5nm process just like the M1 line-up, but future variants will surely make the shift to 3nm. It all depends on TSMC production yields for 3nm combined with how far along Apple is in planning for the design and release of M2 devices.
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