Digitimes reports that TSMC plans to begin mass production of 3nm chips later this year for its upcoming MacBook models and other products.
The report’s paid preview reads, “Back-end companies are optimistic about demand for the upcoming MacBook chip, which will be manufactured using TSMC’s 3nm process technology, with production set to begin later this year, according to industry sources.”
However, TSMC is unlikely to generate significant revenue from overall 3nm chip production until at least the first quarter of 2023.
That information is consistent with a report last week in Taiwan’s Business Times, which said TSMC will start producing 3nm chips for Apple by the end of 2022. The report said Apple’s first 3nm chip could be the M2 Pro chip for the Mac, adding that the A17 Bionic chip in next year’s iPhone 15 Pro model will also be a 3nm chip.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expects the M2 Pro chip to be used in the next generation of 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, as well as in the high-end Mac mini that will replace the current Intel-based chip. It’s not entirely clear if this will include new MacBook Pro and Mac mini models, or if Apple will wait to release its first Mac with a 3nm chip in 2023.
Apple’s M1 series chips and M2 chips both use TSMC’s 5nm and improved processes, and the transition to 3nm chips will improve the performance and power efficiency of the Mac and iPhone.
