According to Taiwan’s CTEE, Apple will begin developing the next-generation A15 series processors next year, including the A15 Bionic chip used in the iPhone 13 series. The chips are expected to be manufactured using TSMC’s 5nm enhanced (N5P) process and are scheduled to start mass production in the third quarter of next year. This timeline aligns closely with Apple’s annual iPhone launch schedule.
At present, the Apple A14 series processors are mass-produced at TSMC using the 5nm process and are used in the latest Apple products, such as the iPhone 12. It is reported that TSMC will begin mass production of 5nm Apple A14X processors in the second half of this year. In addition, Supermicro, Qualcomm, Huida, Intel, and Broadcom will introduce 5nm process technology to mass-produce new generation products after next year.
It is worth mentioning that TSMC’s 3-nanometer process products are expected to debut in 2021 and enter mass production in 2022. TSMC recently stated that the development of the 3nm process is progressing as expected and will become another major process node. Compared to the 5nm process, the 3nm process can increase logic density by 70%, improve computing performance by 15% at the same power consumption, and reduce power consumption by 30%. It is foreseeable that the 3nm process will be used in the next generation of flagship products. The Apple A15 will use the 5nm N5P process, so the 3nm process may not be applied until the A16.