According to Taiwan's Economic Daily News [Google Translate, via Digitimes], Apple's reported current A-series chip partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is ahead of schedule with its next-generation 16nm process for chip production. The Chinese-language report claims TSMC will begin 16nm volume production in Q1 2015, a full quarter earlier than its originally projected Q2 2015 start. This advancement may pave the way for TSMC to supply Apple with the future A9 processor that would be used in the late 2015 iPhone.

a7.png
TSMC is reportedly installing this 16mm capability in its manufacturing plants with the potential for a monthly output of 50,000 wafers. This capability positions TSMC favorably against Samsung as the two companies vie to supply Apple with processors for both its current and future iPhone and iPad models.

Reports from last year suggested Samsung, GlobalFoundries and TSMC would share production of Apple's A9 processor in 2015. Samsung is expected to handle the lion's share of the production, providing up to 40% of Apple's processor supply, although TSMC may be looking to alter that balance with its accelerated work. GlobalFoundries, TSMC and possibly even Intel may be used to complement Samsung's production to provide the remaining chip inventory necessary to meet Apple's demand.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forums: iPad, iPhone

Top Rated Comments

ValSalva Avatar
139 months ago
The start of iPhone 6s rumors :D
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Phillyfinest89 Avatar
139 months ago
Yeah right. I wish we could just get the iPhone 6 before these rumors with better specs are announced.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pedromcm.pm Avatar
139 months ago
**** no.
We don't need any stinking phablets from Apple. Or stupidly large iPads.

Says who?

The market certainly wants them. Each time I read a comment like that I wonder what is wrong with humanity.

I don't want a stupid pathetic small screen either, but I'm not stupid so I understand that millions might want it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mschmalenbach Avatar
139 months ago
14nm, 16nm, 1nm - what gives?

The talk of 14nm, 16nm, or even 1nm, is interesting...

Marketing can blur the lines between for example, routing being on say a 16nm basis, and the main structures that make up a transistor being on a larger one, say 20 or 22nm.

The issue of whether there is enough demand to produce enough chips, and spreading across 14nm and 16nm to cope with this perhaps a 'red herring' - with TSMC and others moving from 300mm to 450mm wafers, significantly more devices can be made per wafer, even more so if they are made at 14nm rather than say, 22nm. So the demand issue may be less negative than it seems - the true demand is there, and growing perhaps, but can be met by a smaller number of fabs... which would really reduce operating costs...

The physics of Moore's Law running out at around 5nm may be a non-sequitur in that the financials become the dominating issue around 7nm. The cost of the equipment, fab, and then mask sets for 7nm devices are now so expensive when spread across the devices being built, that it is MORE expensive to build at 7nm say, than at 10-12nm. The development costs at the 7nm node are huge in comparison to at the 20nm node, and 22nm has proven a challenge for Intel, so...

We are probably seeing the practical end of 50+ years of shrinking... and the falsehood of lower costs year after year (lower costs are not the same as lower prices!).
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BoulderAdonis Avatar
139 months ago
At this rate, 1nm will be here before too long. Crazy what that day will bring us! :eek:

Or, not. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Tick-Tock There are some fundamental limits of physics we hit ~5nm when using full atoms to create transistors. We need some new (sub-atomic) paradigms to keep Moore's Law going ...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
the8thark Avatar
139 months ago
Isn't it time to simply go:

iPhone (4")
iPhone Air (4.7")
iPhone Pro (5.5")

And drop the rest? Do the same for tablets and that's it.

iPad (7.9")
iPad Air (9.7")
iPad Pro (12 " or whatever).

Also Macs:

Macbook (12")
Macbook Air (14")
Macbook Pro (15.6")

iMac (21")
iMac Air (24")
iMac Pro (27")

Mac Pro.

Sounds nice.
**** no.
We don't need any stinking phablets from Apple. Or stupidly large iPads.
Also the 24 inch iMac is a thing of the past. Back in the days when 17, 20 and 24 inch iMacs were a thing.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...