What you need to know
- Production of the iPhone 13's A15 chip will reportedly begin by the end of May.
- A new Digitimes report also says Apple has booked TSMC's 4nm production for its new-generation of Mac processors.
A new report claims production of the A15 chip expected to feature in the iPhone 13 will begin by the end of May.
Digitimes says that TSMC "is expected to kick off production for Apple's A15 chip that will power the upcoming iPhone 13 series by the end of May, the sources noted."
Apple's new A15, which will replace the A14 of the iPhone 12, one of the best iPhones in recent years, will be made using the same 5nm production as the current processor, but will benefit from an enhanced manufacturing process known as "N5 Plus".
In other exciting news, Digitimes says that Apple has already booked up the initial capacity of TSMC's 4nm production for its "new generation Mac series". Apple is expected to debut new Macs this year, including a new 2021 iMac and mini LED MacBook models. However, the report of 4nm Apple silicon chips refers to processors that will likely be available at the end of 2021 or early next year:
TSMC will move N4 (namely 4nm process) to volume production in the fourth quarter of 2021, ahead of the 2022 timeframe set previously, according to sources at fab toolmakers.
The report corroborates earlier previous reports stating the iPhone 13, as expected, will benefit from the A15 chip built around the current 5nm production process and offers the first insight into Apple's potential plans for new-and-improved Apple silicon from the end of the year onwards. Previous reports indicate Apple is working on a new Apple silicon chip with as many as 32 cores.
