Apple Supplier TSMC Begins Production on Processors Destined for 2018 iPhones
Apple supplier TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) has started production on the next-generation 7-nanometer A12 chips that will be used in the 2018 iPhone lineup, reports Bloomberg.
TSMC in late April announced that its 7-nanometer process node has entered into high volume manufacturing, but did not specify that it was working on the Apple A12 processors set to be built into the iPhones that are expected in September.
The new 7-nanometer chips will offer approximately 40 percent power and area benefit over the 10-nanometer process used for the A11 processors in the 2017 iPhones. As Bloomberg says, the chips will be smaller, faster, and more efficient.
TSMC is believed to be the sole partner Apple is working with on the A12 chip. TSMC was also Apple's only supplier for the A11 chips in the iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus.
All three of Apple's 2018 iPhones are expected to adopt the A12 chips that are currently in development. Rumors suggest Apple is working on a second-generation 5.8-inch OLED iPhone that's a successor to the iPhone X, a larger 6.5-inch OLED iPhone that can be thought of as an "iPhone X Plus," and a lower-cost 6.1-inch LCD iPhone.
Along with A12 chips, all three are expected to include a TrueDepth camera system for Face ID capabilities and an edge-to-edge design with minimal bezels and no Home button.
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SOURCE: https://www.semiwiki.com/forum/content/7191-iedm-2017-intel-versus-globalfoundries-leading-edge.html
Going forward, Apple, AMD, and Nvidia are going to have the process node advantage over Intel. This means two things:
1. Apple might start looking at AMD chips very seriously now, since Thunderbolt Support exists on Ryzen now, and AMD is pulling ahead
2. Apple might opt for a semi custom solution from AMD, since AMD does semi custom work.
3. Apple might skip AMD chips in favor of their own CPU's for mac desktops and laptops.
but to be honest: no one really notices a difference in real world usage anymore. most chips are more than fast enough for smartphone usage these days...
but less power usage is always nice.
6:01 up 27 days, 14:10, 7 users, load averages: 1,16 1,27 1,49
I could grock an AMD-based Mac, but loathe a move to ARM. My fear is, that Apple would be tempted to cripple MacOS beyond usable by simultaneously eliminating 3rd party app support and going App Store only.
If MacOS loses x86-support and can not run things like Homebrew, Virtualbox etc. a lot of people would be forced to leave the system, at least in the education market, the technical and science domain.
Myself included...