There are already analysts and research institutions expecting that Apple’s iPhone 14 series smartphones, which will be launched later this year, may be unprecedentedly divided in terms of the chip, camera and other key hardware configurations, with the high-end version, the Pro version, to be equipped with an A16 chip and 48-megapixel camera, and the non-Pro version will still be an A15 chip and 1200 pixel camera system.
In terms of chips, as Apple’s exclusive A series chip foundry TSMC for many years, is promoting the 3nm process in the second half of mass production, the outside world is also concerned about whether the A16 chip will use this advanced process technology.
But from the latest reports of foreign media, the iPhone 14 Pro series will be equipped with the A16 chip, no TSMC 3nm process.
The foreign media is reporting that TSMC’s Arizona plant has topped out, mentioning that the A16 chip does not have access to TSMC’s 3nm process. In the report, they said that the A16 chip will continue to be handed over to TSMC using the 5nm process, Apple’s subsequent M series chips will be the first to use the 3nm process.
Apple is still a major customer of TSMC’s 5nm process, Apple’s M2 chip launched at the Global Developers Conference in June, is the second generation of TSMC’s 5nm process.
Although the foreign media in the latest report, did not explicitly point out, there were previous reports, has mentioned Apple A16 chip will use TSMC’s 4nm process foundry, they have chartered TSMC 12-15 million pieces of 4nm process capacity for foundry A16.
And it’s worth noting that in the previous earnings analyst call, TSMC CEO Wei Zhejia also mentioned that the 4nm process will leverage their strong 5nm process base to further expand their 5nm process family.
