TSMC Details Potential iPhone 12 A14 Performance and Upcoming 3nm Process
Apple chipmaker TSMC has set out the potential performance and power efficiency of the upcoming iPhone 12's A14 chip, according to a report by AnandTech.
The iPhone 12 is expected to contain an A14 chip, based on TSMC's smaller 5nm manufacturing process. The iPhone 11's A13 chip used a 7nm process by comparison.
Manufacturing chips using this smaller process offers a number of advantages, including a reduction in power consumption of up to 30 percent, and up to 15 percent increased performance. This indicates what kind of improvements may come to the A14 chip in the iPhone 12.
There is a tradeoff when selecting one or the other, but Apple tends to prioritize performance improvements over power consumption. When reducing the size of the manufacturing process for a new generation of chips, power consumption and performance improvements are slightly lower.
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. TSMC has reportedly been in mass production of chips using the 5nm process for several months now, and the process is also expected to be used for Apple Silicon chips coming to the Mac before the end of this year.
In addition to the 5nm process for 2020, TSMC outlined its plans for a 3nm process coming in late 2022. This would likely be used for a potential A16 chip and other future Apple Silicon if the company follows previous years, but it is understandably difficult to speculate on Apple's manufacturing plans so far ahead. The 3nm process yields similar 30 percent and 15 percent power consumption and performance improvements over the 5nm process.
It is worth noting that regardless of the performance of TSMC's chips, Apple usually optimizes its software for further performance improvements. It is also possible that Apple could significantly prioritize power consumption over performance for improved battery life. These decisions belong to Apple regardless of TSMC's manufacturing process, making the exact behavior of the A14 chip somewhat uncertain until official announcement.
Popular Stories
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development.
Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag.
Timing
Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false.
The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence.
Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476
The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick.
"We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote.
If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices.
With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...
