Apple Chip Supplier Hit by Intel Delay Ahead of 'A17 Bionic' Production in 2023

Apple chip supplier TSMC is scaling back its plans to produce 3nm chips next year after Intel postponed a major order, Taiwanese research firm TrendForce reports.

3nm apple silicon feature
Intel reportedly planned to outsource production of its Meteor Lake tGPU chipset to TSMC, with mass production scheduled for the second half of 2022, before being delayed to the first half of 2023 due to design and verification issues. Now, Intel is said to have delayed mass production to the end of 2023, virtually cancelling the ‌3nm‌ chip production capacity that it had booked with TSMC for most of next year.

As a result, TSMC has apparently been "greatly affected" by the move, forcing it to slow its expansion of ‌3nm‌ chip production to ensure that production capacity "is not excessively idle, leading to massive cost amortization pressure."

Apple is believed to be the main customer of TSMC's initial ‌3nm‌ chip mass production. According to the report, Apple is now the only major company among the first wave of ‌3nm‌ chip production clients with orders scheduled between the second half of 2022 and the start of 2023. Apple's upcoming ‌3nm‌ chips reportedly include new M-series chips and the "A17 Bionic."

It is not clear if the disruption at TSMC caused by Intel will impact Apple's ‌3nm‌ chip production volume or schedule. The first ‌3nm‌ chip from Apple is rumored to be the M2 Pro, debuting in the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and a high-end Mac mini model.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 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 ...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
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...
iPhone Satellite Feature

Apple Developing These 5 New Satellite Features for iPhone

Sunday November 9, 2025 6:07 am PST by
Apple is working on a series of new satellite connectivity features for the iPhone, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In this week's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman revealed that the new features in development include: Apple Maps via satellite: Navigation in Apple Maps without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. Photos in Messages via satellite: Support for sending photos in the Messages...

Top Rated Comments

BootsWalking Avatar
43 months ago
Intel is like an ex-spouse - causes you grief even years after you've broken up.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Colstan Avatar
43 months ago
Yet folks still find ways to justify the idea that Apple should have stayed with Intel, despite Intel's repeated, obvious failures.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lynxwildcat Avatar
43 months ago
Intel finds another way to screw Apple.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Adreitz Avatar
43 months ago
Wait, shouldn't this be a good thing? Freeing up TSMC capacity for everyone else?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
azentropy Avatar
43 months ago
Funny stuff. Basically the original concern was that Intel was going to use all the 3nm production leaving Apple out in the cold and now the fear is that because Intel isn't going to use it that TSMC will not ramp up production since there won't be enough customers leaving Apple out in the cold....

It is almost like someone is trying to spin that whatever happens it will be bad news for Apple! ;)
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0924487 Avatar
43 months ago

If intel keeps this up, their outsourced chip manufacturers won’t do business with them in the future. I suspect they’ll get 1 or 2 more mistakes like this
People who defend Intel always say Intel is a great chip designer, they just haven’t caught up on fabrication. Now, it’s clear that they suck on everything.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)