First SoCs made in America: TSMC starts production for Apple in Arizona
The A16 from the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 is now also being produced in small quantities in the USA, according to a journalist from Taiwan.
TSMC factory: Apple hopes for new locations outside the Taiwan region.
(Image: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.)
After delays and problems during construction, chip contract manufacturer TSMC is now said to have started production of Apple's older A16 system-on-chip (SoC) in the new Arizona semiconductor plant. This is according to Tim Culpan, a technology journalist based in the Taiwanese capital who maintains good contacts with TSMC.
A16 in production from 2022
As he writes in his substack, the A16, which Apple introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022 and most recently used in the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus of 2023, is being built as part of phase 1 of TSMC Fab 21, in "small but significant quantities". An increase in production is planned in the second stage of phase 1. The target is the first half of 2025.
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The A16 uses N4P technology – an improved process from the 5-nanometer generation, i.e. no longer the latest production technology. TSMC did not want to confirm the start of production. It only told Culpan that work on the Arizona project has made "good progress" and is running "according to plan". Apple wants to use the TSMC plant to reduce its dependence on its Taiwanese sites; the US government is investing many billions of US dollars in domestic production.
Speculation about the deployment
The production targets have reportedly almost been achieved in terms of yield. The yield in Arizona is "slightly behind" what is achieved in Taiwan. Culpan claims to have heard that good progress is also being made here, so that yield parity could be achieved in the coming months. It has not yet been leaked which devices the first A16 SoCs "made in the USA" will be used in.
A new iPad mini, for example, which is expected before the end of the year, is conceivable. However, the A16 is not suitable for Apple Intelligence; Apple only supports its AI system from the A17 onwards, which is found in the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. Culpan speculates about its use in the iPhone SE 4, the current generation of which uses the A15. However, Apple is more likely to use the A17 or even A18 in order to make the new devices Apple Intelligence-capable. An iPad mini without Apple Intelligence would also be rather unattractive for customers.
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