What you need to know
- Apple has reportedly given TSMC the contract to provide all iPhone 14 5G RF chips.
- TSMCS's new chips will be built on a 6nm process.
- The new chips will include 5G connectivity as well as support for Wi-Fi 6E.
Apple has reportedly given TSMC its entire iPhone 14 order of 5G radio frequency (RF) chips, with Samsung not featuring despite its historical partnership with Apple.
The move will see iPhone 14 benefit from an improved 7nm production method, potentially ensuring battery life improvements and more, according to a report by Taiwan's Economic Daily News. The same report says that the 6nm process for RF chips was first announced last year and was touted as offering improved size and power consumption. Both are positives for Apple as it works to make iPhone batteries last longer while freeing up internal space at the same time. That space could then be used to allow for larger batteries, for example.
The use of TSMC's new 6nm chips will also bring with it support for WiFi-6E, something that has previously been rumored as a potential iPhone 14 feature. That would make it the best iPhone for those who have updated Wi-Fi systems at home or at work, although the number of people currently using such networks is likely relatively low at this point.
If all goes according to plan it's expected that Apple will announce the iPhone 14 lineup in or around September. Recent reports have Foxconn already locking down plans for iPhone 14 Pro devices ahead of mass production.
TSMC is of course a company that Apple knows well — it's the same company that builds the A-series chips that will surely be part of the same iPhone 14 lineup and beyond.
