Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams reportedly had a meeting with TSMC.
- The meeting is said to have involved discussions about custom AI chips and securing TSMC’s first batch of 2nm production capacity.
- Securing all of TSMC’s 2nm chipmaking capacity would limit competitors’s access to these advanced chips.
While Samsung focuses on mass-producing its 3nm process, which is believed to be coming to its Exynos 2500 SoC, Apple is looking a step ahead. The Cupertino firm is said to be working on a deal to secure TSMC’s 2nm production capacity.
As reported Economic Daily News, Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams reportedly visited TSMC in Taiwan and had a secret meeting with TSMC President Wei Zhejia. The meeting in question is said to have focused on the development of AI chips and a contract to secure TSMC’s first batch of 2nm production capacity.
This isn’t the first time Apple has made such a move. When TSMC first started producing its 3nm process, Apple swooped in to contract that first batch of 3nm production as well. That technology was used in Apple’s A17 Pro chip that’s featured in the iPhone 15 Pro. The company’s M4 chip, which can be found in the new iPad Pro, uses an advanced version of this 3nm technology.
Going from a 3nm process to a 2nm process would give Apple’s new chips better performance and energy efficiency. This is because a smaller process means that more transistors can fit in a smaller space.
By securing TSMC’s initial 2nm chipmaking capacity, Apple would make it that much harder for its competitors to get access to these advanced chips. It would also ensure that Apple can meet up with demand for its new products.
