The iPhone 13 just got a major boost – in theory, anyway. According to a new report by Digitimes, Apple's next-generation A15 chip will begin production in May.
The article seems to confirm that Apple has agreed terms with semiconductor giant TSMC to manufacture the A15, the first of a new generation of System-on-Chip processors that could boost the performance of Apple's upcoming MacBooks and iPhones.
Initially, TSMC will crank out out a 5nm (nanometre) version of the A15 chip. That should bring a relatively modest jump in performance and power across the board. But from late 2021, the A15 is set to make the leap to a 4nm manufacturing process.
Shrinking the chip by 1nm might not sound like a big deal, but Digitimes claims it could bring a massive reduction in power for the same (or better) performance.
Given the timings, it's (just) possible Apple could sneak the first TSMC-made 4nm chips into top-of-the-range iPhone 13 'Pro' models. That said, it's far more likely we'll see Cupertino reserve the potentially revolutionary step in performance for its latest MacBook laptops.
Apple ended it's 15-year partnership with chipmaker Intel last summer and doesn't appear to have looked back. The A15 will replace the A14, which jumped from 7mn to 5nm. If today's rumours check out, it seems Apple's ability to shrink silicon is going from strength to strength.
In the meantime, Cupertino is said to be readying some other upgrades. Apple's rumoured A14X chip is set to level up the performance of the next-generation iPad Pro, which could launch as soon as April, alongside the new Apple TV and long-awaited AirPods 3.
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