Apple to Secure TSMC’s Initial Supply of 2nm Chips

Apple will reportedly secure much of TSMC’s initial supply of 2nm chipsets, and will be among the first to implement this cutting-edge architecture into its devices. A report from DigiTimes (via MacRumors), scheduled for publication today, indicates that Apple will be among the first clients to utilize TSMC’s 2nm process node.

These architectural terms, or units of measurement, denote the minimum distance between transistors on a chipset. So, with a reduced gap—consider a transition from 3nm to 2nm—more transistors can be densely packed onto the processor. This higher transistor density leads to efficient power consumption and an overall improved performance.

Now, we know that last year, Apple filled up the majority of TSMC’s orders for 3nm SoCs as it prepared its own A17 Pro and M3 line of chipsets for the iPhone and Mac, respectively. At this moment, Apple is TSMC’s largest client, and so it makes sense for it to implement the next-gen architecture to maintain its global supremacy in the sector.

Apple does produce some of the most efficient and best-performing consumer-grade CPUs on the market. With stiff competition recently, it will look to widen the gap upfront. For a bit of reference, the A17 Pro was the first mobile SoC to be built on the 3nm process node. The first Android flagships to receive the same architectural upgrade will have to wait until the end of this year with the release of Dimensity 9400 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.

TSMC to Establish Three New Factories to Expand Capacity for 2nm Chips

To accelerate 2nm production to meet client demands, TSMC Chief Executive Mark Liu stated earlier this week that TSMC will build two new factories in Taiwan for chip manufacturing based on the N2 (2nm) process node. The production of 2nm chips in these factories is set to start as early as 2025, and a third factory, expected to start construction in 2025, is expected to begin production in 2027.

This is all we know for now, but rest assured that we will keep you updated as new information becomes available.