Apple will unveil the iPhone 16 lineup with major changes and upgrades. While the devices are almost a year away from launch, initial leaks and rumors have started pouring in to shape what we should expect from the devices. According to the latest, the entire iPhone 16 series will feature TSMC’s 3nm A-series chips fabricated on the supplier’s N3E process for better yield and performance. Apple has given order confirmation to TSMC for volume production.
TSMC’s 3nm Chips For iPhone 16 lineup enters volume production, marking a shift from N3B to N3E fabrication
The iPhone 15 Pro houses Apple’s first generation of 3nm chip that allows for improved performance and battery life. However, the standard models are equipped with an A16 Bionic chip, the same chip that powered last year’s iPhone 14 Pro models. Next year, all models of the iPhone 16 will feature the second generation of 3nm chips developed by TSMC. The upcoming A18 chips for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models will be fabricated on TSMC’s N3E technology which will bring a slew of benefits over the N3B process.
It was previously reported that the company will be switching from the N3B to the N3E process due to better yield and performance ratios. The supplier has already switched to N3E for volume production. Apple is TSMC’s largest customer among other smartphone manufacturers, the Cupertino giant is accounting for 90 percent of the supplier’s production. Other than Samsung, major chip manufacturing foundries will be switching to the N3E process as well.
TSMC’s switch to the N3E process will allow for better yields compared to the N3B process. Furthermore, it will also allow for enhanced computational performance while being more power efficient. What this means is that the iPhone 16 lineup could benefit from a major performance boost and contribute to better battery life. Currently, Apple is using the N3B chips from TSMC which comparatively have lower yield than the chips fabricated on the N3E process.
According to industry analyst Jeff Pu, the entire iPhone 16 lineup will launch with Apple’s A18-branded chips. The company will use A18 Bionic chips for the standard iPhone 16 models while the ‘Pro’ models will get A18 Pro chips. This means that the standard models will skip TSMC’s N3B process and jump straight to the N3E fabrication. It will allow the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to feature major performance gains over the A16 Bionic chip in the iPhone 15 models. The A18 Pro chip will also feature significant upgrades over the A17 Pro chip on the iPhone 16 Pro models.
Take note that the iPhone 16 launch is almost a year away and the company could see fit to choose an alternative route. We will keep you guys updated on the latest, so be sure to stick around.
