Wired
According to a new report from Nikkei Asia today, Apple will launch an iPad next year, using a processor based on the next generation of chip manufacturing partner TSMC’s next-generation 3nm process.
According to several people familiar with the matter, Apple and Intel are using TSMC’s 3nm production technology to test their chip designs, and commercial production of such chips is expected to begin in the second half of next year.
According to sources, Apple’s iPad is likely to be the first device to use a 3-nanometer technology processor. The next-generation iPhone (tentatively named iPhone 14) to be launched next year is expected to use intermediate 4 nanometer technology due to timing reasons.
According to TSMC, compared with 5nm technology, 3nm technology can increase processing performance by 10% to 15% while reducing power consumption by 25% to 30%.
If the report is accurate, this will be the second time in recent years that the iPad has preempted the iPhone to use new chip technology.
Apple used the latest 5nm chip technology in the iPad Air launched in September last year. The tablet is equipped with a 6-core A14 bionic chip. Because the release of the iPhone 12 series was postponed, the A14 bionic chip was adopted later than the iPad Air.
Apple’s latest iPad Pro model launched in April this year uses a powerful M1 chip, which was first unveiled in Apple’s Mac last year. The M1 chip is based on the same 5-nanometer architecture as the iPhone 12 series and iPad Air.
It is not clear whether Apple will adopt the next-generation 3nm chip technology for the first time in the iPad Air or the iPad Pro, although the timing may seem to be more inclined to the iPad Pro. Apple usually updates the iPad Pro every 12 to 18 months. The next-generation model should be released in the second half of 2022, which will bring it closer to the time frame for commercialization of 3 nanometer technology. It is rumored that the OLED display of the next-generation iPad Air The production of the screen will start in the fourth quarter of this year and will be launched in early 2022.
According to sources from the Nikkei News, Intel plans to have more chips than Apple’s iPad using 3 nanometer technology. It is said that Intel relied mainly on TSMC before getting its own internal technology back on track. Intel has postponed the introduction of its own 7-nanometer technology until around 2023, while the release of its latest 10-nanometer Xeon processor has been postponed to the second quarter of next year.
IT Home has learned that as for Apple’s iPhone 13, which is expected to be released in September, Apple will use 5nm+ process A15 chips. TSMC refers to the 5nm+ process as N5P, which is a “performance-enhanced version” of its 5nm process and will provide additional power efficiency and performance improvements.