Apple’s main chip supplier TSMC will begin mass production of 3nm chips this week. Apple will, of course, be the primary customer for the new process. The new process could be used to produce Apple’s upcoming M2 Pro chips, which are expected to power revamped MacBook Pro and Mac mini models. The 3nm process is also expected to be used in the chip powering Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 Pro lineup.
According to a report by DigiTimes, TSMC will start mass production of its next-generation 3nm chip process on Thursday, December 29:
TSMC is scheduled to hold a ceremony at Fab 18 at the Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) on December 29 to mark the start of commercial production of chips using 3nm process technology. The pure-play foundry will also detail plans to expand 3nm chip production at the fab, according to sources at semiconductor equipment companies.
Nanometer size refers to the distance between transistors on a chip. The lower the number, the more transistors that can be squeezed onto a chip, making them more powerful but also more challenging and costly to produce.
Apple currently uses TSMC’s 4nm process in the A16 Bionic chip in the iPhone 14 Pro lineup.