Apple will move from 2-nanometer chips to 1.4-nanometer chips with high-end 2028 iPhone models, reports Bloomberg. Chip supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) will make the majority of Apple’s A22 Pro chips, but Apple is also considering having Intel manufacture some of them.
Current iPhone 17 models use a third-generation 3-nanometer N3P process. The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and foldable iPhone expected in September 2026 will be the first to feature chips built on a next-generation 2nm process. The 2027 chips will also use the 2nm process, then Apple will upgrade some chips to 1.4nm in 2028.
TSMC has been working on 1.4nm chips for several years and its A14 node will bring up to 15% better performance than those built on its 2nm N2 node. Alternatively, the chips will offer the same performance but with 30% power savings.
Each decrease in node size comes with higher production costs and limited capacity due to the difficulty of manufacturing the most advanced chips. TSMC’s powerful and efficient chips are in high demand from AI server makers like NVIDIA, leading to more limited supply for consumer devices. During Apple’s latest earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said the iPhone 17 models were limited during the quarter because Apple couldn’t get enough A19 and A19 Pro chips from TSMC.
Apple aims to diversify its chip supply chain and is rumored to be working with Intel. While Apple previously used Intel-designed chips in Macs, with the new deal Intel would make Arm-based chips using Apple chip designs.
Current rumors suggest that Intel will make low-end chips for devices like the iPad and Mac, but Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan aims to revitalize Intel’s chipmaking business by focusing on more advanced process nodes. Intel is developing its 14A node for 1.4nm chips and is expected to reach production in 2028. Previous rumors indicate that Intel could make non-Pro iPhone chips in 2028.
