A14X Chip for First Apple Silicon Mac and New iPad Pro to Enter Mass Production in Fourth Quarter

[MacRumors]

Apple's 5-nanometer-based A14X processor, which is destined for the first Apple Silicon Mac and the next-generation iPad Pro, will enter mass production in the fourth quarter of this year, reports DigiTimes.

Apple will kick off its 5nm wafer starts at TSMC for its new Apple Silicon processors starting the fourth quarter of 2020, with monthly output estimated at 5,000-6,000 wafers, according to industry sources.

Apple is gearing up for the upcoming launch of its new-generation MacBook and iPad Pro series powered by its self-designed Arm-based processors, which will be fabricated using TSMC's 5nm EUV process technology, the sources indicated.

Last year, TSMC announced a $25 billion investment in the new 5nm node technology in a bid to remain the exclusive supplier of Apple's processors, and it already appears to have paid off.

A report late last month from The China Times claimed that the first Apple Silicon Mac to use TSMC's 5nm process will launch by the end of the year in the form of a super-lightweight 12-inch MacBook with a battery life of between 15 and 20 hours.

According to the Chinese report's sources, the 12-inch MacBook will reportedly use the A14X processor, which is based on the 5-nanometer A14 chip that will be used in the upcoming iPhone 12 models. Codenamed "Tonga," the A14X is also set to be used in the next-generation iPad Pro and will go into production by the end of the year, said the report.

Apple announced at its WWDC developer conference in June that its Macs will transition from Intel x86-based CPUs to its self-designed Arm-based Apple Silicon processors over the next two years. Bloomberg has said that Apple is currently developing at least three Mac processors that are based on the A14 chip.

Apple's first Mac processors will have 12 cores, including eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores, according to Bloomberg. Apple is said to be exploring Mac processors with more than 12 cores for further in the future, with the company already designing a second generation of Mac processors based on the A15 chip.

Apple is rumored to be planning to release a high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a mini-LED display supplied by Innolux in the first half of 2021. Apple was originally planning to launch the device in the fall of 2020, but is unable to meet that deadline with the global health crisis, and now multiple sources suggest a 2021 launch. Trial production on the new iPad Pro reportedly began in June.

Article Link: A14X Chip for First Apple Silicon Mac and New iPad Pro to Enter Mass Production in Fourth Quarter

 

[ruka.snow]

Apple's first Mac processors will have 12 cores, including eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores, according to Bloomberg. Apple is said to be exploring Mac processors with more than 12 cores for further in the future, with the company already designing a second generation of Mac processors based on the A15 chip.

Gonna need a lot more than 8 performance cores for it to be useful, even if those are super fast. I am expecting 30 odd cores in my next desktop and perhaps at least 12 in a MacBook Pro.

 

[fokmik]

Makes sense for the starting mac to have the already more powerful ipads pro chip A14X than any 5-7W Intel

 

[Realityck]

Oh that the 12-inch A14X based MacBook should really sell when available.

 

[fokmik]

Gonna need a lot more than 8 performance cores for it to be useful, even if those are super fast. I am expecting 30 odd cores in my next desktop and perhaps at least 12 in a MacBook Pro.

here its about the 12" Macbook....the macbook pros, and the imacs will have special chips, not sharing with any other iphones/ipads

And to be fair...this A14X will blow out of the water, the 13" Macbook pro intel based , on anything, cpu power, iGpu power and battery life.
I bet, Apple if its lazy, can place this upcoming A14X to the ipad pro, 12" Macbook, but also in the smaller Macbook Pro and still be ahead of competition. But i bet Apple will place a slightly better chip for the smaller MBP than this 12" macbook/macbook air

 

[LFC2020]

Bloody digitimes repeating 6 month old news. 🤦‍♂️

Can’t wait for the 14” or 16” arm MacBook Pro.😍 going to be along wait, mid next year. 🥺

Guess apple has a crap load of the current 13” and 16” chassis they need to clear out first. 😂🥺

 

[Jony Ive and Co.]

I now have trust issues with Digitimes and Jon Prosser and those who lied about this morning's apple watch release...

 

[bluecoast]

Does anyone know (On average) how many (usable) chips that that are likely to get per wafer?

 

[Bustycat]

So DigiTimes refers to sources for leaks that everyone knows.

 

[LFC2020]

Does anyone know (On average) how many (usable) chips that that are likely to get per wafer?

Depends, we talking chocolate, vanilla or strawberry wafers? 🤔😂

 

[navaira]

Please sell me exactly this, but 14" rather than 12". With passive cooling. *throws money at bewildered Apple Store employees*

 

[calstanford]

That means guaranteed no ARM Macs this year. Apple won't introduce them in December but rather wait for Q1 in that case.
(Chip allegedly not in product yet. Takes about 2 months before sales. September Apple Watch, October/November iPhone, leaves December only)

 

[projectle]

Apple promised developers multiple times that there will be a shipping ARM64 macOS product by end of year, with remaining lines transitioning over the next 2 years.

 

[G4DPII]

Apple promised developers multiple times that there will be a shipping ARM64 macOS product by end of year, with remaining lines transitioning over the next 2 years.

They didn't promise anything.

The aim was to have the first AS based Mac shipping before the end of the year.

 

[ian87w]

Very intriguing. Wish we can have rumors about the A15 or whatever Apple is going to use for the MacBook Pro/iMac. Still remember how the first Intel Macs were 32 bit core Duos and got deprecated fairly quickly. So I don’t think it’s wise getting these early Apple silicon Macs.

 

[Abazigal]

I now have trust issues with Digitimes and Jon Prosser and those who lied about this morning's apple watch release...

You are on a website that basically reblogs Apple rumours around the world...

 

[MacBH928]

If Apple is going to use iPad chips in full fledged computers I am worried...

 

[007p]

Until these two are one device I’m not interested in either of them.

For me, Mac needs touch/detachable keyboard or iPad needs much better software.

One of those is going to happen, it’s inevitable, just might take another decade.

 

[LeLootje]

Apple promised developers multiple times that there will be a shipping ARM64 macOS product by end of year, with remaining lines transitioning over the next 2 years.

With 5nm technology Apple may get 500 processors out of one wafer, so the 6000 wafers per month might be enough for the iPad Pro and Macbook 12 sales. I don't know how many iPad Pro's are sold each month?

 

[Nozuka]

Can't wait to see how this plays out.

 

[NewUsername]

12 cores? Safari will be so much snappier.

 

[Harvey Zoltan]

They have already told us there is going to be an Apple Silicon Mac by the end of the year and a complete conversion in the next two years, so the secrecy about which make and model it's going to be and when it's going to happen is just kind of annoying at this stage. I would like to purchase the first AS iMac they release and have no intention of buying any desktop before then. Apple being secretive with this product line is just a pain. My five cents worth.

 

[yurc]

Make them bigger for workstation, 64 or 96 cores and crank them with big heatsink.
Can imagine beast possibilities, since regular thin AX chips can remain sustain speed even without dense cooling.

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

Gonna need a lot more than 8 performance cores for it to be useful, even if those are super fast. I am expecting 30 odd cores in my next desktop and perhaps at least 12 in a MacBook Pro.

30 cores...? What made you arrive at that number as an expectation?

 

[PickUrPoison]

Bloody digitimes repeating 6 month old news. 🤦‍♂️

Can’t wait for the 14” or 16” arm MacBook Pro.😍 going to be along wait, mid next year. 🥺

Guess apple has a crap load of the current 13” and 16” chassis they need to clear out first. 😂🥺

Apple doesn’t believe in warehousing, since the late 1990s. That was one of Tim Apple’s first big wins.

Google just-in-time inventory.