Primary Apple supplier TSMC is reportedly “on track” to begin volume production of 5nm chips in April.
According to a new report from MacRumors, the Taiwanese supplier’s manufacturing lines are fully booked for the 5nm node, despite the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. The news contrasts “recent speculation” indicating that the foundry had been requested by Apple to defer production of A14 processors by one or two quarters, explains the report.
TSMC has been Apple’s exclusive supplier of A-series chips since 2016, and the supplier’s chips have gradually become smaller as it continues to refine and improve its manufacturing process.
The A13 Bionic that’s running inside the iPhone 11 series was made using a 7nm process, and now that the node has been refined further, we can look forward to improved performance, battery life, and thermal management.
Apple plans to introduce four flagship iPhone 12 models with 5G support this fall, including one 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch model, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. However, in light of the ongoing pandemic, there have been many conflicting reports on when Apple will be able to reveal the phones.
All this said, it’s worth noting that we are talking about the A14 Bionic here and not the iPhone 12 itself and its production might still get delayed because of other factors.
