iPhone 17: Probably Won’t Use TSMC’s First 2nm Chip

Reports that the iPhone 17, which is expected to launch next year, will use TSMC's next-generation 2nm process are untrue, according to a reliable source with a proven track record of accurate predictions about Apple's plans.

The Weibo user "Phone Chip Expert" posted that the 2nm process will not enter mass production until the end of 2025. The tipster, who has 25 years of experience in the integrated circuit industry and has worked in Intel's Pentium processor division, said that the iPhone 17 will continue to use TSMC's 3nm technology.

"The 2nm process will not be available for mass production until the end of 2025, so the iPhone 17 will not be able to use it", wrote Phone Chip Expert. "Only the iPhone 18 will feature a 2nm processor."

"Anyone familiar with the production schedule will understand that this is a false report from unreliable media outlets," they added, commenting on a Zhitong Finance article that cited claims from Taiwanese newspapers based on "industry sources".

TSMC plans to begin producing 2nm chips next year, but reports from Taiwan suggest that the process is being accelerated to ensure consistent yields for mass production. As TSMC's main customer, Apple is usually the first to get the new chips. For example, Apple secured all of TSMC's 3nm chips in 2023 for the iPhone, iPad and Mac.

The 2nm manufacturing process, known as "N2", is expected to deliver a 10-15% speed improvement at the same power consumption or a 25-30% reduction in power consumption at the same speed compared with 3nm chips. The A17 Pro chip in Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models is manufactured using TSMC's first-generation 3nm process, known as N3B. Apple's M4 chip, recently introduced in the new iPad Pro, uses an improved version of the 3nm technology.

Code in iOS 18 confirmed that all iPhone 16 models will use Apple's next-generation A18 chip, based on TSMC's N3E process, the second generation of its 3nm chip manufacturing process, offering improved performance and lower costs.

Phone Chip Expert has a track record of accurate predictions. They were the first to reveal that the iPhone 7 would be waterproof and that the standard iPhone 14 models would use the A15 Bionic chip, while the more advanced A16 chip would be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro models. Recently, they revealed that Apple is developing its own AI server processor using TSMC's 3nm process, with mass production targeted for the second half of 2025.