As a privileged customer of TSMC, Apple benefits from a preview of the Taiwanese foundry's technical advances, particularly concerning the fineness of engraving of the iPhone's main processors.
Jeff Pu announces TSMC 2nm etching for 2027££££
While in previous rumors Taiwanese analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimated that the new generation of 2nm chips would arrive for the iPhone 18 Pro expected next year, we would finally have to wait until 2027 (at the earliest) and the iPhone 19 series. This is what Taiwanese analyst Jeff Pu recently announced, specifying that the A20 chip of the iPhone 18 (without specifying if it would be the Pro models) would finally be manufactured with the third generation of 3nm etching, called N3P.
Ming-Chi Kuo reiterates his 2026 prediction for TSMC 2nm etching££££
But beware of a possible reversal of the situation… A few days after Pu's prediction, Kuo countered by reiterating his previous estimate : 2nm etching is expected to arrive next year for iPhone 18. And to specify that the yield of production tests showed between 60 and 70% three months ago, so a figure undoubtedly much higher today.
As we always point out, in the world of processors, the smaller the etching process, the more powerful the chip, the less energy-hungry it is, and the less prone to heat. Indeed, the smaller the size of an etching, the smaller the space between the transistors, so more transistors can be fitted onto the same surface.
