The new iPhones that Apple is due to launch this year will reportedly feature its A12 processor which will be built using the 7nm process technology. That’s what reports have suggested so far and if the latest is believed, Apple’s chip supplier has now started production of the 7nm A12 processors for the company’s upcoming new iPhones.
The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is the contract supplier for Apple’s chips and Bloomberg reports that it has started mass production of the processors for Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup. If Apple is indeed going with this chip, it will be the first to use the 7nm process technology for a commercial device.
Smaller process technology enables chips to be faster and more efficient while obviously being smaller in size. Existing chips like the A11 Bionic and even the Snapdragon 845 from Qualcomm are built on the 10nm process. The industry as a whole has been working toward achieving mass production on the 7nm process for years.
TSMC won’t be the only one making 7nm chips. Samsung has also announced that it will start production of its 7nm chips at scale later this year. It currently manufactures chips for clients such as Qualcomm and its own semiconductor division. There were reports that Apple might go with Samsung again for the A12 but that doesn’t seem to be happening as the rumor mill is convinced that TSMC will be working with Apple on its next-generation chip.
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