Apple is expected to launch its first chip made with 2nm technology in 2025, in sync with the release of the iPhone 17 in the fall. According to the latest information, the chips will be manufactured by TSMC, although the Taiwanese company is facing challenges in their production.
Apple has secured the full production of TSMC’s 2nm chipsets, however the low yields of the new technology will limit the release of the new SoC only to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Reports from Taiwan suggest that, although TSMC has introduced the new chip, it still needs the contribution of other suppliers to finalise the product, in order to be ready for use in smartphones. These collaborators provide materials, equipment, silicon intelligence (IP) and electronic circuit design automation tools (EDA), creating competition in a “team battle” among them.
The 2nm production line has already been installed in TSMC’s factory in Baoshan and trial production is expected to start in the third quarter of 2024, three months earlier than originally planned. TSMC will provide the N2 technology to Apple and Nvidia, strengthening its position against Samsung and Intel in the chip manufacturing market.
