A few months after Samsung, TSMC will finally produce its first chips engraved in 3 nm, the thinnest architecture on the market. They should quickly arrive in computers, but also in our smartphones.
TSMC, the world’s largest chipmaker, is set to launch mass production of cutting-edge chips using its 3nm process node. Indeed, Digitimes announces that TSMC is expected to begin mass production of 3nm etched chips this week.
Taiwanese giant TSMC is a bit late to the party, as Samsung started production of 3nm semiconductors about 6 months ago, in June, and unveiled the world’s first 3nm chips on July 25. Moreover, it shipped the first batch of 3nm chips just a month later.
What are the first devices that should use 3 nm chips?
Apple is TSMC’s biggest customer and represents 25% of the company’s turnover, and it is he who should this year be the first to use the new fineness of engraving for his chips. Before finding her the A17 Bionic chip in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra in September 2023Apple is expected to equip other products with 3nm chips earlier next year.
A report released in August claimed that the upcoming M2 Pro and M2 Max chips would be the first to be based on the 3nm process. These should do their debut in updated 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros early next year and possibly in next-generation Mac Studio and Mac mini models.
Samsung and Qualcomm will then take advantage of this new fineness of engraving to make new processors for high-end smartphones at the end of 2023. We will find in particular the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which should equip the next Xiaomi 14, Galaxy S24 or OnePlus 12. This would be the first 3nm chip for Android smartphones, but we imagine that MediaTek will also jump at the chance to launch a 3nm Dimensity SoC fairly quickly.