Processor manufacturer TSMC has reportedly entered the mass production stage of its 10-nanometer “A11” processors for Apple’s next-gen iPhone.
While the new iPhone’s ship date has yet to be announced, TSMC is said to be applying the same 10-nanometer FinFET manufacturing technique being used to make A10X chips for this year’s 10.5- and 12.9-inch iPad Pros. The A10X is in fact believed to be the first chip produced with the technique, though TSMC does have other clients.
At present, the A10 processor used in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus handsets feature a 16-nanometer design. The smaller size of the new processor could allow for better performance in a similarly-sized package and help improve power efficiency.
The “iPhone 8” could ship as soon as next month albeit in very low quantities. Indeed it’s rumored that the phone will only start mass assembly in September, when typically Apple prefers to have a month or two under its belt for any new iPhone.
Apple is also thought to be working on an “iPhone 7s” and “7s Plus” models, which could share some of the feature of the “iPhone 8” such as the A11 processor and wireless charging, but would use 4.7- and 5.5-inch LCDs instead of an edge-to-edge, 5.8-inch OLED panel. They should also have physical home buttons with Touch ID, whereas the “8” will have a virtual button and may even abandon Touch ID in favor of facial recognition.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and DigiTimes