Apple hoards TSMC 2nm power grab
Apple plans to manufacture its A20 and A20 Pro processors with TSMC’s 2-nanometer technology, marking the tech giant’s latest move to adopt cutting-edge manufacturing processes. The company has secured more than half of TSMC’s initial 2-nanometer supply for chips powering the iPhone 18 and M6-equipped MacBook Pro models expected after 2026.
Despite TSMC offering a 1.6-nanometer process node, Apple has not begun discussions about using it, according to Korean outlet EBN, citing an unnamed U.S. tech industry source. NVIDIA remains the sole customer for TSMC’s 1.6-nanometer chips, which the graphics processor maker will use for artificial intelligence hardware.
Apple may instead adopt TSMC’s enhanced N2P variant of 2-nanometer technology for the A21 processors. The chipmaker could also skip the 1.6-nanometer node entirely and move directly to 1.4-nanometer manufacturing, where TSMC plans to invest approximately $49 billion in new facilities.
Production of 1.4-nanometer chips is projected to begin in 2028. Industry observers note that TSMC’s substantial investment in this technology suggests strong customer interest beyond Apple alone.
