iPhone 18 will be integrated with a chip manufactured on the next generation 1.8nm process - a new chip announced by TSMC.
Recently, TSMC announced a breakthrough chip manufacturing technology with a small number of processes, increased performance and better energy management. When integrated, iPhone and Mac will be faster. The new 1.6nm process dubbed A16 was announced at the company's annual North American Technology Symposium.
With each new manufacturing process, TSMC reduces node size, helping to integrate more transistors on the processor. This will enable improved performance and reduced power consumption on newer chips.
TSMC's recently announced A16 node process will feature significant upgrades over the 2-nanometer N2P process node. Compared to the N2P process, the new A16 node will be 8 - 10% faster at the same voltage and chip surface area, combined with a 15 - 20% reduction in power consumption.
The main feature of TSMC's A16 chip production process is the application of Superpower Rail (SPR) technology, which increases transistor density and power supply capacity. Superpower Rail is TSMC's way of implementing a power supply architecture on the back side, the power rails are moved to the back of the chip, allowing for additional signal rails on the front side.
Although other companies, such as Intel and Imec, have explored behind-the-scenes power grids, TSMC's Superpower Rail technology remains more complex and efficient than previous implementations.
TSMC pointed out that the new A16 chip manufacturing technology is of significant interest to AI companies. Given Apple's recent interest in AI and the company's reliance on TSMC for chip manufacturing, new manufacturing processes in chips will be designed by Apple in the future.
What does this mean for Apple and the iPhone going forward?
Apple products are often the first to receive chips with TSMC's new manufacturing process. Since the company has established a business relationship with TSMC, this model is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Therefore, the iPhone will switch to 2nm technology in 2026, in line with the release of the iPhone 18 series. Although TSMC's 1.6nm technology is expected to launch in the same year, it may not be used in products yet. realistically until 2027.
According to a January 2024 report, Apple will be one of the first companies to use TSMC's 2nm process for its products. TSMC plans to start producing chips with a 2-nanometer process in early 2025, and the public can see 2nm chips on Apple's 2026 iPhone.
For the iPhone 17 and A19 chip lines, they will continue to use 3nm technology despite the transition from the N3E to N3P production process. Compared to N3E, the N3P process will have a 5% increase in efficiency and reduce power consumption by 5 - 10%.
iPhone 16 series and A18 chip.
Apple's iPhone 16 series is expected to launch in September 2024, they may be equipped with the A18 chip. This has been confirmed by many sources.
The A18 chip will use the N3E manufacturing process. TSMC's N3E process will improve performance compared to the previous N3B process - used for the A17 Pro chip, although both are 3 nanometer processes.
The A18 chip with identifier t8140 and codename Tahiti will have 6 GPU cores, and an improved neural engine. Neural engines will facilitate the use of AI technology.
Even though the iPhone is the first device to receive the new chip technology from TSMC, Apple is still extremely careful to ensure the chip technology is standardized across all of its flagship devices.
How does Apple gradually add new chip technology to its products?
Chips produced using improved manufacturing processes will first go into the iPhone and will eventually make their way to the iPad and Mac product lines.
For example, in September 2023, Apple introduced the iPhone 15 Pro with the A17 Pro chip, Apple's first product to use 3nm technology for the chip system. Later that year, in October, Apple introduced new MacBook Pro models with the M3 chip, also using 3nm technology, an improvement over the previous 5nm chip.
There is a high possibility that "Apple House" will apply a similar cycle to future products. It is expected that the iPhone will receive a 2-nanometer chip before the new iPad or Mac. TSMC's 1.6nm chip manufacturing process will make its debut on the iPhone 18 series in 2026.