TSMC

We’ve known for several years that an in-house Apple 5G modem design was in the works, to enable the Cupertino company to finally ditch Qualcomm as a supplier. A fresh report today says that Apple is in talks with a potential company to assist with this work.

Apple is expected to switch to its own modem design from 2023, though this likely won’t entirely end the company’s relationship with Qualcomm …

After Apple’s improvement over battery life on the iPhone 13 line, it seems like the company could go a step further with the iPhone 14, as it’s ditching Samsung for smaller and improved TSMC 5G chips.

It’s been almost two years since Apple chipmaker TSMC announced its plans to construct a plant in Arizona. Now, a report indicates that the company is three to six months behind schedule.

Apple chipmaker TSMC has reported record profits for the holiday quarter, comfortably beating analyst expectations. The company has also reported year-on-year revenue growth of 24.1%, a quarter of it generated by Apple.

TSMC, which makes Apple’s A-series and M-series chips, says that it has big expectations and big plans for the next few years …

There are no signs of the global chip shortage easing any time soon, and one of the reasons behind it appears to be getting worse, not better.

Industry experts say that a shortage of qualified staff is a growing problem, especially the highly qualified engineers needed to design new chips and solve manufacturing problems for ever more complex ones …

Apple’s chip manufacturing partner, TSMC, is expected to begin volume production of 3-nanometer chips during the fourth quarter of 2022, according to a new report from DigiTimes. This could mean that we start seeing 3nm chips in Apple products as soon as 2023.

Earlier this year, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the Apple-designed chip journey would continue as the company worked on developing its own modem chip, and that we might see this as early as 2023. A new report today echoes this, but seems more confident about the 2023 date.

Apple currently uses Qualcomm for its modem chips, but has for many years been unhappy about this …

Update: TSMC is one of a number of chipmakers to have over ‘partial’ data in response to the demand. The company said (per Bloomberg) that ‘no customer specific information was disclosed.’ A spreadsheet reveals things like capabilities and industry splits, but customer-specific pages have been left blank. TSMC has also left blank pages requesting details of disruptions to its production. It is a near-certainty that the company consulted Apple on what data to reveal and withhold.

In an attempt to better understand the global chip shortage, the US Commerce Department has asked for TSMC company data, along with that of other chipmakers around the world.

The deadline set for this is November 8, and so far it appears Apple’s A-series and M-series chipmaker is among the companies that has not responded.

Update: TSMC has confirmed the plans, but it is now clear that the plant won’t make Apple chips, as the company says it will focus on much older 22nm and 28nm processes used for far less advanced chips.

Potential plans for a TSMC plant in Japan have leaked, with the chipmaker said to be seeking to boost production to help address the global chip shortage.

Setup costs of $7B are expected to be split between TSMC, Sony, and the Japanese government …

Apple’s zero net emissions goal for its supply chain is now looking unlikely to be met, as A-series and M-series chipmaker TSMC has set a much less ambitious target for itself.

Apple achieved net zero emissions for its own operations back in 2018, and has promised to do the same for its entire supply chain by 2030. However, TSMC doesn’t appear to be on board for this …

A new report indicates that the price of chips and devices, in general, are on track to rise into 2022 as the world’s biggest contract chipmakers are ramping up productions fees, which could end up impacting Apple and its chipmaker TSMC.

According to a story from Nikkei Asia, TSMC, which makes chips for Apple, Nvidia, and Qualcomm, always had production fees around 20% higher than its rival. But with the semiconductor shortage, some of its competitors already charge more than TSMC.

TSMC 2nm production is likely to begin sometime in 2023, after the company got the green light for its most advanced chipmaking process yet.

The news comes just one day after Intel said it believed it could catch, and overtake, TSMC’s chipmaking capabilities within four years…

Qualcomm said earlier this month that it thinks it can beat Apple Silicon, and now Intel has made the same claim – thanks to a combination of new technology and rebranding.

Intel said that it expects to take the lead by 2025 …

TSMC’s Arizona plant has been expected to begin production in 2024, and this has now been confirmed by the company’s chairman.

There’s no official word as yet on widespread reports that the plant will be used to fabricate Apple A-series and M-series chips…

Update: The vaccine purchase has now been made.

Apple suppliers TSMC and Foxconn are working on buying millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines for Taiwan. The plan is for the two companies to buy the vaccines, then donate them to the government for distribution to the people of the island nation.

The indirect arrangement, where the government authorizes private companies to buy vaccines on behalf of the country, is designed to thwart Chinese interference …

Apple’s A-series chip roadmap appears to be on track, as the company works on ever smaller chip processes. The latest TSMC news suggests that all is on schedule for a revised 5nm process this year, a 4nm process(ish) in 2022, and a 3nm process in 2023.

We heard back in January about TSMC’s plans for 3nm chips, and a new report today has more information …