It's known that Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC's 2nm process is still about two years away from officially entering mass production, according to the company's plans. There may be delays in some cases. But one thing is certain. As has been the case before, it appears Apple will be the first company to manufacture chips using TSMC's most advanced node.

It has become something of a tradition for Apple to be the first customer for TSMC's latest technology. Once again, Apple will secure the privilege of using the newest technology, likely incorporating it into next year's iPhone 17 lineup.

This is based on information that reliable sources shared with DigiTimes. According to them, Apple wants to widely integrate 2nm chips across the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and other devices.

TSMC is expected to begin mass production of 2nm chips in the latter half of 2025. This means that any products released before then will be equipped with chips based on TSMC's 3nm architecture.

Currently, Apple uses TSMC's 3nm technology for chips designed for MacBook, iPad, and iPad Pro models. Last year, the company unveiled the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips for its new MacBook Pro models. Apple also uses TSMC's 3nm chips for the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro.

In terms of numbers, the company's transition from 5nm to 3nm chips resulted in a 10% improvement in CPU performance and a 20% improvement in GPU performance. TSMC is working on upgrading its 2nm chip production capacity through two new facilities. For the 2nm process, TSMC is making a leap from the previous FinFET technology to adopt GAAFET (Gate-All-Around Field-Effect Transistor) technology using nanosheets. This enables smaller transistor sizes and lower power consumption, despite the more complex manufacturing process involved.

TSMC is expected to begin manufacturing 2nm chips in the latter half of 2025. This means the first consumer device to ship using this process is expected to be the A18 chip, which will be adopted in the iPhone 17 Pro.

TSMC is also developing a 1.4nm architecture, which is expected to be announced in 2027. As with the 2nm chips, Apple may be the first to obtain 1.4nm chips from TSMC as well.

Sources