Highlights
- Apple plans to debut TSMC’s 2nm chip technology with its A20 chip in the iPhone 18 lineup next year.
- It will make a major transition from the 3nm architecture used in the iPhone 17 series.
- TSMC’s 2nm chips are expected to deliver 15% better performance with the same power consumption
- It is still uncertain whether Apple’s M6 chip lineup for Macs in 2026 will incorporate 2nm technology.
Apple is set to take a big step forward in chip technology with next year’s iPhones. According to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the upcoming A20 chip will use TSMC’s 2nm process for the first time. This means the entire iPhone 18 lineup is expected to move to this next-gen chip architecture. Previously, it wasn’t clear if all iPhone 18 models would make the switch.
Kuo reposted one of their September 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter) recently and wrote, “Reiterating my prediction from six months ago: the 2H26 new iPhones (iPhone 18) will be powered by TSMC’s 2nm chips. Worth noting, TSMC’s 2nm R&D trial yields reached 60–70% three months ago, and they’re now well above that.”
Kuo’s previous post specified, “The processors for 2025 iPhone 17 models will be made by TSMC’s N3P process/3-nanometer technology. The processor for 2026 iPhone 18 models is anticipated to use TSMC’s 2-nanometer technology. However, due to cost concerns, not all new iPhone 18 models may be equipped with a 2-nanometer processor.”
For this year, the iPhone 17 series will feature TSMC’s third-generation 3nm process, known as N3P. While newer chip architectures generally improve performance and efficiency, the biggest gains typically come with major node transitions like this one.
Apple first introduced 3nm chips in 2023 with the A17 Pro and M3 series. The move to 2nm next year will kick off a new three-year chip cycle, as usual. TSMC claims its 2nm chips will deliver about 15% better performance while maintaining the same power consumption.
Kuo also mentioned that TSMC’s trial production of 2nm chips had a 60-70% yield rate three months ago and has improved “well above that” since then.
It’s still uncertain whether Apple’s M6 chip lineup for Macs in 2026 will adopt 2nm technology, but there’s hope it will.
FAQs
Q1. When will Apple introduce 2nm chip technology in its devices?
Answer. Apple plans to introduce TSMC’s 2nm chip technology with the A20 chip in the iPhone 18 lineup next year.
Q2. What performance improvements are expected with TSMC’s 2nm chips?
Answer. TSMC’s 2nm chips are expected to deliver about 15% better performance while maintaining the same power consumption.
Q3. Will Apple’s M6 chip lineup adopt 2nm technology?
Answer. It is uncertain whether Apple’s M6 chip lineup for Macs in 2026 will adopt 2nm technology, but there is hope it will.
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