Taiwanese manufacturer TSMC, Apple’s main chip partner, will begin producing Apple’s in-house 5G modem for iPhones starting from 2023. According to Nikkei Asia, Apple plans to adopt TSMC’s 4nm chip production technology to mass produce its custom modem.
Apple reportedly plans to develop its own radio frequency and millimetre wave components for the modem, as well as a power management chip. All these components for the latest iPhones have been produced by Qualcomm, so if this development regarding TSMC comes to fruition, it will be a huge blow to the US chip manufacturer.
Apple has been trying to reduce its reliance on using third-party chips from manufacturers like Qualcomm and Intel. On that note, it’s already in the middle of phasing out Intel CPUs in its MacBook lineup by using its own Apple Silicon chips, which are also manufactured by TSMC.
Nikkei Asia also reported that Apple would be using TSMC’s 4nm process for its A-series iPhone processor in 2022, as well as the semiconductor manufacturer’s top-of-the-line 3nm technology for next year’s iPads. Apple is also rumoured to use 3nm technology for the 2023 iPhone.
(Source: Nikkei Asia)
