iPhone 17 missed TSMC’s 2nm process! Apple saved its big move for iPhone 18

A senior person in the field of mobile phone chips revealed that TSMC’s plan for large-scale mass production of 2nm chips has now been postponed to the end of 2025.

This change means that the iPhone 17 series will not be able to be equipped with this cutting-edge process technology, and its processor is expected to continue using the current 3nm process. Consumers will have to wait until the iPhone 18 series is released to experience the real 2nm technology leap.

Looking back at TSMC’s technological iteration history, the company has always been a leader in semiconductor manufacturing, and its advanced process technology has often become the focus of market attention.

According to previously public information, TSMC plans to officially start mass production of 2nm chips next year, and Apple, as its core customer, has always been one of the first companies to adopt TSMC’s latest technology.

For example, in 2023, Apple has exclusively won all TSMC’s 3nm chip orders, making the iPhone 15 Pro series the industry’s first smartphone equipped with this process technology.

In terms of technical specifications, TSMC’s 2nm chip shows significant performance and energy efficiency advantages over the 3nm process. It is said that under the same power consumption conditions, the speed of the 2nm chip can be increased by 10% to 15%; while maintaining the same performance level, its power consumption can be reduced by 25% to 30%.

Although the arrival of 2nm chips has been delayed, the 3nm process will still be the standard in the high-end flagship chip market in the next two years. It is revealed that both the iPhone 16 series and the iPhone 17 series will use 3nm chips.

It is worth noting that in addition to Apple, technology giants such as Qualcomm, Nvidia, and AMD have also locked in TSMC’s 3nm process chip production capacity in advance, and there has been a wave of customers queuing up that will last until 2026.

This phenomenon not only demonstrates TSMC’s strong competitiveness in the global chip manufacturing field, but also indicates that in the next few years, the market demand for 3nm and even more advanced process technologies will continue to be strong.

Editor’s comments :

TSMC’s 2nm chip mass production has been delayed, and Apple cannot use it, which means that its one-year advantage in advanced processes is no longer there. In addition, other companies are also following suit, and TSMC’s 3nm process capacity competition will become increasingly fierce.