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M3 Chip for Macs and A17 Chip for iPhone 15 Pro Will Reportedly Use TSMC's Second-Generation 3nm Process
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Oh stop it. You know that’s all press marketing. Apple has to keep the liberals happy
I honestly feel that you’re the only one that has this curiosity
This new chip will bring "improved performance and power efficiency", eh? I refuse to believe such an outlandish claim.
will bring improved performance while keeping the same power efficiency is more believable i think
Looking forward to seeing all the Macs with 3nm processor, especially the rumoured larger 15" MacBook Air.
48MP camera, video stabilization, no notch, and satellite connectivity when off grid all sound like the improvements I wanted.
Uck we need next level software to really utilize these incredible chips.
In case someone though we would be jumping to 2nm anytime soon:
www.tomshardware.com
TSMC's N3 family of process technologies will consist of five nodes in total, all of which will support FinFlex. The lineup includes the original N3, set to enter high-volume manufacturing (HVM) later this year, with the first chips set to be delivered in 2023; N3E with performance-per-watt and process window improvements; N3P with additional performance enhancements; N3S with increased transistor density, and N3X with support for increased voltages, enhanced power deliver; and augmented clock rate potential for ultra-high-performance applications.
TSMC Outlines 3nm Roadmap: Five FinFlex Nodes
TSMC's N3 node looks to have a big and bright future with FinFlex.
www.tomshardware.com
This, this is the generation I was waiting for. Unfortunately, the M3 iPad Pro will probably come with an OLED screen, so I’ll have to get the M2.
This doesn't smell right/correct. Up until somewhat recently, TSMC N3E was scheduled to come out a year after N3.
" ...
"N3E will further extend our N3 family with enhanced performance, power, and yield," said C. C. Wei, chief executive of TSMC.
Originally, TSMC planned to start high-volume manufacturing (HVM) using N3E about a year after N3 (i.e., in Q3 2023), but in the recent months a rumor emerged that TSMC was pulling in HVM of N3E by about a quarter due to better than expected test production runs. During its most recent conference call, TSMC confirmed that N3E's progress was ahead of schedule and that it was considering pulling in mass production using this technology, but did not elaborate about exact plans. ..."
TSMC Roadmap Update: N3E in 2024, N2 in 2026, Major Changes Incoming
If N3 was too late for A16 in 2022 , how was N3E arriving expected to arrive in the fall 2023 going be on time for the 2023 Fall iPhones? N3 is ramping to HVM about now (Sept '22) . Even if N3E slides back a quarter into ( June '23) that is still relatively a late start for iPhone SoC production which needs to start in April-June timeframe. If not going to get finished A17 SoC until around August '23 then not going to have very many completed phones by September '23.
TSMC could have been sandbagging back in late 2021 about how 'bad' / 'good' the N3 / N3E process was heading and Apple adjusted early enough taking a small roll out hit by shifting to N3E.... is plausible but seems awkward. Years ago though N3 would have fit the time window ( at least for A17 ) while N3E didn't.
If N3 had some major volume production 'problem' then it would make sense to take a rollout hit and skip it.
But it appears that Apple isn't skipping it for a mystery SoC.
Apparently in part because backtracking a bit on some of the maximum density settings available in N3.
M1 and M2 are iPad SoCs so the iPad is suppose to get its own unique SoC? Where do the economies of scale come in to make that work? iPads could go uniform, but they'd be stripping away tons of volume from the plain Mx series. That isn't going to do much for the Mac SoC costs structure and amortization rates.
And if N3 is 'busted and broke' so bad that the A17 doesn't want it ... why would the iPad's want it?????????
What iPad product couldn't wait for a A17 or M3 and had price to support paying for N3 wafer SoCs by itself?????
Apple has N3 wafer commitments to 'burn' so just run off some not-so-good A17 dies that they forked away from late in the process? If so that doesn't really bode well for those iPads.
This rumors smells like "N3E has more hype than N3" so need to shift Apple's sexier SoCs of 2023 onto N3E . Similar to how TSMC N4 got thrown out by many because A16 "had to be N3" . N3 is going to be harder to design for to get the most utility out of it. So perhaps something went off the rails and this "iPad only SoC" is a kludge.
It is hard, but I suspect Apple pulled off their N3 designs and won't be avoiding N3 mainly because it would have been safer. N3E will still be around in 2024 to leverage. It isn't going to disappear if they don't use it as soon as possible.
In that selling more Pro models than regular ones makes Apple much higher profits ... are you really surprised? That differential is likely permanent going forward. Part of iPhones being a maturing market with real caps on long term growth; push average sales price higher.
Yeah, too big and too much heat for the iPad if they went with the M2, right? However, I’m not quite sure we’ll see the M3 so soon… the M2 were released just few months ago.
What do you think about this: next iPad Pro gets an M2, but manufactured at 3nm. Sounds right?
