Apple’s upcoming M3 chip for Macs and A17 chip for iPhone 15 Pro models will be manufactured based on TSMC’s enhanced 3nm process, according to Nikkei Asia.
N3E is an upgraded version of TSMC’s current 3-nanometer production tech, which is only starting to go into use this year. The next generation of Apple’s M3 chip for its Mac offerings is also set to use the upgraded 3nm tech, according to Nikkei Asia.
According to TechRadar, when compared to TSMC’s existing N5 manufacturing process, the new N3 technology promises to increase performance by 10% – 15% (at the same power) or cut power consumption by 25% – 30% (at the same performance), and improve transistor density by up to 1.7 times for some logic structures, up to 1.2 times for SRAM cells, and only up to 1.1 times for analog structures.
In the July 5 edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple is still working on an iMac (iMac Pro?) with a larger display and a more powerful chip. He also thinks we’ll see an updated 24-inch model with an M3 processor next year.
“I also still believe that Apple is working on a larger-screened iMac aimed at the professional market,” Gurman said. “I’d imagine this will use a variation of the M3 chip, likely an M3 Pro and M3 Max. That would match the chips inside of the MacBook Pro. I don’t think the combination of a Mac Studio or Mac mini plus an Apple Studio Display cuts it for many pro users who want more screen real estate.”
