Reports indicate that TSMC has begun trial production of 2nm chips at its Hsinchu Baoshan facility, but the yield rate is only around 60%. With production costs as high as $30,000 per wafer, such exorbitant manufacturing costs make it impractical for Apple to use 2nm chips in the iPhone 17 Pro series.
As a result, it is rumored that Apple has decided to delay the commercial application of 2nm chips by nearly a year, potentially debuting them in the iPhone 18 Pro models slated for release in 2026. This suggests that the iPhone 17 will likely continue using TSMC's 3nm chips.
At the IEDM 2024 conference, TSMC revealed critical details about its 2nm process. Compared to 3nm, the 2nm process boasts a 15% increase in transistor density, a 15% performance boost at the same power level, and a 24–35% reduction in power consumption at the same performance level. As an advanced node yet to enter mass production, 2nm technology is the focus of fierce competition among TSMC, South Korea's Samsung Electronics, and Japan's Rapidus.
To meet the surging demand, TSMC is working to expand its capacity. The current monthly production capacity for the 2nm process is approximately 10,000 wafers, with plans to increase this to 80,000 wafers per month by 2026 through facility investments. In the meantime, TSMC is also ramping up 3nm process capacity, aiming to solidify its leadership in advanced nodes. The company plans to boost the capacity of its Arizona plant, increasing production to approximately 140,000 wafers per month.