Apple plans to further advance from the current 2nm process to a 1.4nm process on its high-end iPhone models in 2028, and be equipped with the new A22 Pro chip. According to Bloomberg, the main chip supplier will still be Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), but Apple is also considering letting Intel participate in some foundries to spread supply risks.
The current iPhone 17 series uses TSMC’s third-generation N3P 3-nanometer process, and the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and folding screen iPhones expected to be released in September 2026 will switch to the next-generation 2-nanometer process for the first time. Chips expected to be released in 2027 will continue to be based on the 2nm node, and it will not be until 2028 that Apple will upgrade to the 1.4nm process on some high-end models.
TSMC has been developing the 1.4nm node for many years. Compared with the 2nm N2 process, its A14 process is expected to improve performance by up to about 15% at the same power consumption, or achieve power consumption savings of up to 30% while maintaining the same performance. However, with each generation of the process, manufacturing difficulty and cost will increase significantly, and advanced production capacity will become more limited.
Currently, AI server manufacturers including NVIDIA are in strong demand for high-performance, energy-efficient chips, further squeezing production capacity for consumer devices such as smartphones. In a recent earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the iPhone 17 series experienced supply constraints during the quarter due to an inability to obtain enough A19 and A19 Pro chips from TSMC.
In order to reduce its reliance on a single generation of factories, Apple has been trying to diversify its chip supply chain in recent years, and has been revealed to be cooperating with Intel to explore having Intel manufacture its self-developed Arm architecture chips. In the past, Apple has used Intel's self-developed processors in its Mac product line, but under the new cooperation model, Intel will turn to be responsible for foundry production based on Apple's designs.
Current rumors indicate that Intel's role in Apple's chip foundry will initially focus on lower-end chips used in products such as iPads and Macs. However, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is trying to revive the company's manufacturing business by betting on more advanced process nodes.
Intel is developing the 14A node for the 1.4nm process and is expected to enter volume production in 2028. Earlier market rumors pointed out that from 2028, Intel may also OEM some of the chips used in non-Pro iPhones for Apple, allowing it to play a more important role in Apple's mobile chip supply chain.