TSMC’s 3nm Chip Revenue Could Receive An Annual 34 Percent Boost, Partially Thanks To Increased A18, A18 Pro Orders Placed By Apple

wccftech.com:

Apple has employed the use of TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process in the past, as the company’s M4 powering the new 13-inch and 11-inch iPad Pro models was mass produced on this technology. However, the company’s tablets barely contribute to the semiconductor giant’s revenue for this cutting-edge node, but that is where the iPhone 16 launch will come into play. It is reported that Apple will unveil the A18 and A18 Pro for its four models, and increased orders of these SoCs will partially contribute to TSMC’s 34 percent annual revenue boost.

The remainder of that revenue bump will be thanks to Qualcomm and MediaTek, who will present their own 3nm SoCs to take on the A18 and A18 Pro

A previous estimate published by Economic Daily News reveals that TSMC’s 3nm revenue in 2024 would receive a 26-29 percent bump, highlighting that the foundry behemoth continued to receive an influx of orders. However, that figure has risen to between 31-34 percent, and that is thanks to major players, including Apple, who have placed a significant number of orders with its supply chain partner.

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Earlier, it was reported that the trillion-dollar firm would mass produce up to 100 million A18 chipsets as it would potentially prepare for high demand for the iPhone 16 series. However, a different estimate from Nikkei Asia revealed that Apple had informed its supply chain to mass manufacture 90 million iPhone 16 units for 2024, resulting in a 10 percent increase compared to the iPhone 15 series that launched in 2023.

TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process is also known as ‘N3E’ and is said to bring in higher yields, coupled with slightly better power efficiency than the pricier ‘N3B’ process. Apple’s A17 Pro from last year was fabricated on the older 3nm node, but its performance or power-saving attributes did not reflect on its advanced manufacturing process. Perhaps with an improved cooling solution, the A18 and A18