Apple announced its latest M3 chips alongside the launch of the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. The company is planning to bring the new chip to its iPad Pro and MacBook Air lineup next month, which will be significantly more powerful than the current M2 chip. Apple’s M3 chip is based on TSMC’s 3nm architecture, which means that it features a higher transistor count than the M2 chip. This ultimately translates to better performance and improved efficiency. While the M3 chip is still young, the company has already begun designing its forthcoming chips based on TSMC’s 2nm process.
Apple has already started developing chips based on TSMC’s 2nm architecture
According to the latest information discovered from an Apple employee on LinkedIn, spotted by gamma0burst, Apple has started developing chips based on TSMC’s 2nm fabrication. Note that the information shared on LinkedIn does not clearly mention Apple’s future prospects but keeps it hidden. However, a part of the company’s slide states, “TS5nm, TS3nm, working on TS2nm, ” which potentially hints at different fabrication processes the company has worked on in the past. It also gives us a clue regarding the company’s forthcoming 2nm chips from TSMC.
If you are unfamiliar with it, Apple has been working with TSMC for a long time, and the supplier has produced 5nm and 3nm chips for the iPhone, Macs, and other products. This time, Apple is working with TSMC to develop 2nm chips, which will be used in future products. 3nm or 2nm fabrication refers to the chip’s specific architecture, and the decrease in nanometer count means that the transistors will get smaller.
Other than 2nm chips, it was also previously noted that the company has also begun work on 1.4nm chips, which will be available in 2027. Apple has been approaching TSMC to reserve a share of the 1.4nm and 1nm chips as well. As mentioned, the performance and efficiency of the chip are inversely proportional to the nanometer count. This means that the company’s development of 2nm chips will feature enhanced computational and graphical performance with lower power consumption.
Apple is expected to use 2nm chips in 2025 for iPhones and Macs. If the news has any heft, the technology could be part of the A19 chips and M4 chips. As for performance gains, we are expecting a 10 to 15 percent increase with 25 to 30 percent lower power consumption.
Considering the above-mentioned time frames, the iPhone 17 could house the new 2nm chips. Apple’s transition to its custom chips created a frenzy in the chip industry, with the company quickly taking the lead. It remains to be seen how Apple’s forthcoming chips based on TSMC’s 2nm process will compete against the likes of Intel and AMD. We will share more details on the subject as soon as further information is available.