Apple’s next-generation A19 chip, which is expected to power the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air, and A19 Pro chip, which is expected to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro power will be manufactured using TSMC’s third-generation 3nm process called “N3P,” according to industry analyst Jeff Pu. Pu’s comments came in a tech-related research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong.
The A18 and A18 Pro chips currently used in Apple’s iPhone 16/iPhone 16 Pro lineup are fabricated using TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process “N3E.” The A17 Pro chip used in iPhone 15 Pro models is manufactured with TSMC’s first-generation 3nm process “N3B.”
Chips manufactured using the newer “N3P” process will have increased transistor density compared to those using the “N3E” process, bringing modestly improved performance and power efficiency for iPhone 17 models compared to iPhone 16 models.
Apple is expected to use TSMC’s first 2nm process for the A20 chips expected to be used in iPhone 18 models in 2026.
