iPhone 17 to Feature 3nm Chipset, 2nm Chips to be Used for iPhone 18 Pro: Kuo

iPhone 16 has yet to start shipping but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo already has some tantalizing reports for iPhone 17 and iPhone 18. Next year’s iPhone 17 may feature Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)’s enhanced N3P 3-nanometer chip tech. Looking into 2026, iPhone 18 Pro models may use the chipmaker’s next-gen 2nm processor.

In a post published to X (formally Twitter), Kuo notes that Apple may withhold the use of 2nm chips to the iPhone 18 Pro models “due to cost concerns.” As of now, it’s unlikely all new iPhone 18 models will be equipped with the new processor, leaving base models to continue using 3nm chips likely.

In 2022, Apple began using the latest 3nm chip technology across iPhone and Mac products. The A17 Pro is a 64-bit ARM-based system. Apple designed its silicon for iPhone 15 Pro models and TSMC manufactured the chipset. The A17 Pro is the first widely available SoC built on a 3nm process. Similarly, the M3 chip series, used on Mac, is the “first personal computer chips built using the industry-leading 3nm process technology”, says Apple.

For iPhone 16, Apple integrates the A18 chip, which is built on the second-gen 3nm process. For consumers, this means that the iPhone 16 series is more efficient and faster when compared to the processing power of the iPhone 15. What those benchmarks look like exactly has yet to be discovered.

TSMC is investing billions into its new processor technology.  Apple is the manufacturer’s biggest client, which typically means Apple is an early adopter of any new breakthroughs. This includes the 2nm chip upon its delivery. It already revealed its plans to begin production of 2nm processors in 2025. However, until 2nm is produced and ready to be implemented, TSMC is likely to continue iterating on the 3nm process. This includes the N3E and N3P chips that are already being manufactured.