Apple to be first in line for TSMC's 2nm chips?
Online reports say Apple is at the front of the queue for chips built on TSMC's forthcoming 2-nanometer process.
A story in Digitimes says TSMC is expected to begin producing its next-gen 2nm chips in the second half of 2025. 2nm is a breakthrough because it enables smaller transistor size, leading to boosts in speed and more efficient power consumption.
Apple is in a fierce arms race with other smartphone makers to improve the performance and battery life of its devices. It already adopted 3-nanometer chips for its iPhones and Macs in 2023. The jump from 5nm technology to 3nm delivered 20% faster GPU speeds.
So the race to be first with 2nm matters. TSMC is currently building two new facilities to support 2nm chip production, and is working on approval for a third. The transition to 2nm demands the adoption of GAAFET (gate-all-around field-effect transistors) with nanosheets instead of FinFET. This makes the manufacturing process much more complex.
Digitimes quotes insiders as saying that Apple will access the first of TSMC's supply, and also speculates that TSMC is already starting work on 1.4-nanometer chips with production earmarked for 2027.
