Apple A15 processors are manufactured by TSMC 5nm enhanced (N5P) process

The A14 Bionic processor developed by Apple and manufactured by TSMC has been used in Apple’s new iPhone12 series of smartphones and iPad Air. The focus of Apple’s chip research and development will shift to the A15 series for the new iPhone to be launched next year.

Apple is already developing the A15 series of processors, which are expected to be manufactured using the TSMC 5nm enhanced (N5P) process, and production will begin in the third quarter of next year.

Compared with the first-generation 5nm process, TSMC’s second-generation 5nm process can improve the performance of the chip to a certain extent. During the TSMC Showcases Leading Technologies at the end of August, TSMC disclosed that chips manufactured by the second-generation 5nm process will theoretically increase performance by 5% and energy efficiency by 10% compared to the first generation.

During the TSMC Showcases Leading Technologies, they also disclosed the second-generation 5nm process, which is planned to be launched in 2021, but did not disclose the time for large-scale production.

Apple A15 series processors continue to be manufactured by TSMC, which means that TSMC will be Apple’s exclusive OEM A-series processors for 6 consecutive years, from 2016 to 2021. Since TSMC is at the forefront of the industry in terms of chip process technology, the more advanced 3nm and 2nm processes have been advanced as planned. The 3nm process is planned to be mass-produced in the second half of 2022. Therefore, after 2021, TSMC is still expected to obtain exclusive OEM orders for Apple’s A-series processors.

Via: ctee