Apple’s next-gen processor, the M3, may have already entered its pilot production phase.
According to DigiTimes, TSMC, Apple’s chipmaking partner, has begun producing the processor using it 3 nanometer process, known as “N3.”
The report, citing unnamed industry sources, claims that TSMC will move the process to volume production by the fourth quarter of 2022 and start shipping 3nm chips to customers like Apple and Intel in the first quarter of 2023.
It’s thought that this process advancement will allow for both performance and power efficiency improvements, which can lead to faster speeds and/or longer battery life on future Apple devices and Macs.
The first Apple devices with 3nm chips will likely debut in 2023, including iPhone 15 models with an A17 chip and Apple silicon Macs with M3 chips — all names are tentative.
According to a November report by The Information’s Wayne Ma, the M3 chips will have up to four dies, which could translate into a 40-core CPU, compared to the 8-core M1 chip and 10-core M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.
In the meantime, Macs with M2 chips and iPhone 14 models are expected to use chips based on TSMC’s N4 process, which is another iteration of its 5 nanometer process.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors, DigiTimes, and The Information