Anticipated iPhone 15: A17 Chip, 3nm Process, & N3E Upgrade

According to market expectations, the upcoming iPhone 15 series is set to feature the A17 Bionic chip manufactured using TSMC's advanced 3-nanometer process. This shift from the previous A16 chip, as well as some early-stage chips, which were produced using a 4-nanometer process, will bring notable speed improvements and other advantages.

Specifically, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models will employ TSMC's N3B process. However, it is worth noting that next year, Apple plans to adopt the more cost-effective N3E process for these devices.

For this year's iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models that are already in stock, the A17 chips utilized the N3B process. However, it has been mentioned in a microblog post that starting from a certain point next year, Apple will switch the production of A17 chips to the cost-reducing N3E process, which may result in a slight difference in performance.

Apple reportedly placed orders with TSMC in December 2020 for the comprehensive production of N3B chips. TSMC has successfully developed its cutting-edge 3-nanometer process, which will be incorporated into many of Apple's upcoming products. However, there is a possibility that Apple might opt to switch to N3E process chips instead.

The N3B process, which is a variant of TSMC's 3-nanometer technology, offers enhanced performance and efficiency compared to previous generations. This is achieved through higher transistor density and an increased number of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) layers, enabling the production of smaller and more powerful chips.

On the other hand, the N3E process represents another variant of TSMC's 3-nanometer technology, with a focus on cost-effectiveness and affordability. While the N3E process may have slightly lower transistor density and EUV layer count compared to N3B, it aims to strike a balance between performance and cost.

Apple's A17 chip is expected to transition to the N3E process in 2024. Moreover, it is possible that the upcoming Apple iPhone 16 series will also utilize this advanced manufacturing process.