Apple Reportedly Developing Its Own Custom Silicon for AI Servers

Apple is said to be developing its own AI server processor using TSMC's 3nm process, targeting mass production by the second half of 2025.

According to a post by the Weibo user known as "Phone Chip Expert," Apple has ambitious plans to design its own artificial intelligence server processor. The user, who claims to have 25 years of experience in the integrated circuit industry, including work on Intel's Pentium processors, suggests this processor will be manufactured using TSMC's ‌3nm‌ node.

TSMC is a vital partner for Apple, manufacturing all of its custom silicon chips. The chipmaker's ‌3nm‌ technology is one of the most advanced semiconductor processes available, offering significant improvements in performance and energy efficiency over the previous 5nm and 7nm nodes.

Apple's purported move toward developing a specialist AI server processor is reflective of the company's ongoing strategy to vertically integrate its supply chain. By designing its own server chips, Apple can tailor hardware specifically to its software needs, potentially leading to more powerful and efficient technologies.

Apple could use its own AI processors to enhance the performance of its data centers and future AI tools that rely on the cloud. While Apple is rumored to be prioritizing on-device processing for many of its upcoming AI tools, it is inevitable that some operations will have to occur in the cloud. By the time the custom processor could be integrated into operational servers in late 2025, Apple's new AI strategy should be well underway.

The Weibo user has a number of accurate previous claims, including that the iPhone 7 would be water-resistant and that the standard iPhone 14 models would continue using the A15 Bionic chip, with the more advanced A16 chip being exclusive to the ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro models. These predictions were later corroborated by multiple credible sources and proved correct upon the products' release.