In an upcoming iPhone 15 launch at Apple’s September Event, the supply chain report has highlighted that major chip manufacturer TSMC will exclusively produce 3nm chips for Apple for the rest of the year. This decision, although seemingly minor, could have far-reaching implications for various devices, extending beyond smartphones. TSMC, being the world’s largest chipmaker, collaborates with numerous companies across different industries, including smartphones, graphics cards, TVs, and automobiles.
The allocation of a substantial portion of TSMC’s resources to Apple may have a ripple effect, causing delays for other customers. Apple’s exclusive access to TSMC’s 3nm process could have significant advantages, as smaller chips tend to be more efficient, accommodating more transistors and cores while requiring less power and generating less heat.
Apple’s current M2 chip, powering its top-tier MacBooks, is manufactured using TSMC’s “Enhanced 5-nanometer technology” N5P process. Last year’s iPhone 14 series, driven by the A15 chip, also employed the 5nm fabrication process from TSMC.
The potential adoption of a 3nm processor for the iPhone 15 could provide a notable performance boost to Apple’s new products, garnering attention from competitors. Intel, another prominent chip manufacturer and Apple’s arch-rival since Apple began producing its own chips for MacBooks, has been striving to develop 3nm chips. These efforts come after facing challenges in reaching the 5nm milestone, leading to the M1 and M2 MacBooks outperforming Intel-based Windows laptops, particularly in power efficiency and battery life.
Intel was reportedly collaborating with TSMC to produce 3nm chips, potentially making both Intel and Apple the initial TSMC customers to utilize 3nm chips. Nevertheless, a recent report indicates that Intel is scaling down its 3nm orders from TSMC. Consequently, Apple has seized the opportunity to increase its own order, securing TSMC’s 3nm capacity for the remainder of 2023.
As a result, it is highly likely that the iPhone 15 series will be the exclusive recipients of TSMC’s 3nm chips this year. While this development is advantageous for Apple and its enthusiasts, it represents a setback for those anticipating a new generation of Intel (or AMD)-based Windows laptops in the near future.
Should Apple also introduce a new 3nm M3 chip for Macs and MacBooks, as rumored, the performance gap between MacBooks and Windows laptops may widen further, potentially leading to more MacBooks featured in the best laptops list.
