Apple has obtained all the production capacity of TSMC’s N3 process

N3, as TSMC’s first process at the 3nm process node, may soon see production capacity climb. This year, Apple will bring A17 Bionic and M3 chips, both of which will choose to use the N3 process. The former will be used in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the latter will be used in the new Macbook models launched in the fourth quarter.

According to DigiTimes, sources in the supply chain said that Apple has obtained the full production capacity of TSMC’s N3 process, further consolidating its chip’s leading position in semiconductor technology. The source did not disclose the specific amount, but Apple likely agreed to TSMC’s price increase request and paid a premium to obtain all the current supplies. Since Intel has delayed some chip plans, Apple has almost no competitors to compete for the production capacity of TSMC’s N3 process.

Soon TSMC will announce the second-generation 3nm process node technology, which is N3E, to gain more customers. It is rumored that both Qualcomm and MediaTek intend to adopt TSMC’s 3nm process, which may be the next target.

Samsung is trying very hard to increase the output of the 3nm GAA process to attract customers away from TSMC, but it seems that the effect is not great, and there is no progress for the time being. Although there have been reports that many customers have expressed interest in Samsung’s 3nm GAA process for use in future products, they will not produce it immediately even if they are interested, and the time for mass delivery will not be until early 2024 at the earliest.