According to a report from DigiTimes (subscription required), chipmaker TSMC is on schedule with its 2nm manufacturing process, which could mean Apple will start using 2nm chips as early as next year.
TSMC may be able to begin 2nm testing later this year, followed by small production runs and larger production beginning later in 2025. The timing seems to point to the A19 processor in the 2025 iPhone Pro would be the first 2nm chip. This could be followed by a 2nm M4 chip in the MacBook Pro and iMac, and perhaps in any other Mac if it doesn’t get an M3 upgrade (the Mac mini, in particular).
DigiTimes also reports that TSMC is already working on the production process after 2nm, which is 1.4nm. Production of 1.4nm chips is not expected until 2027. Additionally, TSMC received more funding from the US government through the CHIPS Act, according to Ars Technica on Monday. TSMC will build three manufacturing plants in Arizona.
While a report that TSMC is on schedule seems trivial, it is significant in the context of Apple’s initial M-series chip rollout, which took place in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic affected the supply chain, which prolonged production and prevented TSMC and Apple from establishing a consistent schedule. Now that the pandemic is over, a pattern of regular release has developed.
TSMC is Apple’s chipmaker, and this report follows a DigiTimes report from January that indicated Apple was committed to TSMC’s 2nm process, which was demonstrated to Apple last December. With the 2nm process, TSMC is moving from finned field-effect transistors (FinFETs) to full-gate field-effect transistors (GAAFETs). The switch is expected to provide improved performance with better power efficiency.
The nanoscale (nm) process refers to the production of the chip, and 2nm allows for increased transistor density compared to the previous 3nm and 5nm processes. The higher the transistor density, the better the performance and the process can also result in better power efficiency. Apple uses 3nm chips with the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the M3 in the iMac, MacBook Air, and 14-inch MacBook Pro, and the M3 Pro and Max in the MacBook Pro 14 and 16 inches.
