2022 iPhones and Macs May Feature 3nm Chips

The 2022 iPhones and Macs may feature chips built on the 3nm process, as Apple's leading chip supplier, TSMC, is planning to begin mass production for ‌3nm‌ chips destined for Apple in the second half of next year, according to a preview of an upcoming report by DigiTimes.

3nm apple silicon feature
The paywalled preview of the full report, which will be published tomorrow, reads:

TSMC is on track to move its 3nm process technology to volume production in the second half of 2022 for Apple's devices, either iPhones or Mac computers, according to industry sources.

Earlier in June, TSMC was reportedly beefing up capacity to begin production of 3nm chips, but ‌DigiTimes‌ at the time refrained from mentioning Apple as a potential initial beneficiary of the new process. Today's preview directly means that just two years after unveiling chips based on the 5nm process, Apple may plan to make a direct jump to ‌3nm‌ as soon as next year.

Apple has already reportedly booked TSMC's entire production capacity for 4nm chips for Apple silicon Macs. That report, however, has no timeline as to when Macs with 4nm chips may debut.

The A14 Bionic chip, first introduced in an updated iPad Air and later put into the iPhone 12 series, is built on the 5nm process. Compared to earlier processes, the smaller architecture provides improved performance and increased energy efficiency. For this year's ‌iPhone‌, Apple will use an enhanced version of the 5nm process.

The full report tomorrow is likely to offer more color surrounding Apple's plan to roll out chips built on the ‌3nm‌ process. We'll be sure to let MacRumors' readers know if the new report shares anything of significance.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Spotlight

Report: Apple to Launch These New Products in 2026

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:34 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.1 With Liquid Glass Toggle, Slide to Stop Alarm, New Apple Intelligence Languages and More

Monday November 3, 2025 1:11 pm PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.1, the first major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.1 comes over a month after iOS 26 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.1 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
Finder Siri Feature

Apple's New Siri Will Be Powered By Google Gemini

Wednesday November 5, 2025 11:57 am PST by
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google. For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
Early Black Friday Deals 2

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals

Sunday November 2, 2025 10:04 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

New Version of Siri to 'Lean' on Google Gemini

Sunday November 2, 2025 6:06 am PST by
In his "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today provided an update on the status of Apple Intelligence and the plans for it in 2026. Apple is still planning to roll out its revamped version of Siri around March of next year. The release should be accompanied by the release of a new smart home display product with speaker-base and wall-mount options. A new Apple TV and HomePod...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Likely Launching Soon

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:49 am PST by
A new Apple TV and HomePod mini could launch as soon as this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today suggested. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple retail stores are planning an overnight refresh on the evening of November 11, where changes will be made after closing, such as refreshing displays and placing new products for the following day. The timing of the overnight...

Top Rated Comments

sniffies Avatar
55 months ago
Basically speaking,

2022 iPhones and Macs will be better than 2021 iPhones and Macs
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mongobongo Avatar
55 months ago
You should probably know that:

“The term "3 nanometer" has no relation to any actual physical feature (such as gate length, metal pitch or gate pitch) of the transistors. It is a commercial or marketing term used by the chip fabrication industry to refer to a new, improved generation of silicon semiconductor chips in terms of increased transistor density, increased speed and reduced power consumption.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_nm_process
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Serban55 Avatar
55 months ago

So.. where does it end? 1nm? .5nm? It never ends?
I’m not sure will we ever have 1nm physical dimension transistor using current tech. 3nm manufacturer BS is already very problematic. At those levels (5nm and bellow) quantum effects are very problematic. There is a “way around” and is called GAA - gate all around. GAA will be first used by Samsung, then Intel while TSMC still stays on FinFET. Next step will be nano-sheet and nano-wire GAA transistors.

At physical 1nm are enormous problems. Si atoms are 0.2 - 0.3 nm in diameter what means whole transistor will be 3 - 4 atoms what’s impossible cause MOSFET consists of Drain, Source and channel between. So, each will be single atom.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macintoshmac Avatar
55 months ago
I’m waiting for 0nm.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
raccoontail Avatar
55 months ago
So long as this enables apple to make thinner computers, particularly desktops, I'll be happy.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
55 months ago

So long as this enables apple to make thinner computers, particularly desktops, I'll be happy.
Mac's are already thin enough though.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)