TSMC: First Apple chips "made in USA" on the way
According to a report, Apple's central chip manufacturer will soon begin mass production of the first iPhone processors in the USA.
TSMC production plant.
(Image: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.)
Apple's chip contract manufacturer TSMC is apparently on the verge of mass-producing the first A16 Bionic chips, which roll off the production line in the US state of Arizona. Corresponding predictions were already made in the fall, and Apple is now in the “final phase” of checking production output, writes the Japanese financial medium Nikkei Asia. A first batch of chips in commercial mass production is expected as early as this quarter, as soon as the quality assurance processes have been completed.
Chip without Apple Intelligence
The A16 Bionic is a system-on-chip (SoC) that Apple introduced in 2022 together with the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. The chips will continue to be used in the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus from 2023. TSMC manufactures them using the 4-nanometer N4P process; they run at up to 3.46 GHz. At the heart of the chip are six CPU cores, including two performance cores.
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Interestingly, this chip is precisely the one that is not yet compatible with Apple Intelligence without an AI unit. Support only begins with the A17 Pro, which was launched on the market in 2023 with the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. However, TSMC in the USA does not yet have the 3 nm production technology required for this. Apple still has the iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 15 and 15 Plus in its range, so there is a corresponding need for older A16 SoCs.
Arizona factory gradually under construction
TSMC will continue to manufacture the latest Apple SoCs only in Taiwan for some time. However, the company wants to equip its factory in Arizona with more and more fabs to produce higher-quality chips. As a result, 2 nm SoCs could roll off the production line in the USA for the first time as early as 2028. The Taiwanese government recently allowed TSMC to also produce newer chips abroad, although this is more of a tactic than practical feasibility. TSMC is still generations ahead at home, with 2 nm SoCs set to roll off the production line in the country this year.
Nevertheless, production in Arizona appears to be growing and thriving. In addition to local workers, many employees from Taiwan are also employed there. Last month, the New York Times wrote that a “Tiny Taipei” had long since emerged in the suburbs of Phoenix. The hiring of many employees from TSMC's home country – which the company sees as urgently necessary due to the lack of local skilled workers – has been criticized by some trade unions. For example, there was an attempt to persuade the US government to stop a visa program.
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