This year is the last hurrah for new 3nm phone chips. Rumor says Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek will all jump to TSMC's 2nm process next year, with their flagship chips possibly launching in the same month. The Taiwanese foundry has reportedly started mass production and is building more factories to handle orders, with Apple already locking down over half of the initial output.
The talk is that Apple's A20 and A20 Pro, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and its Pro variant, and MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 could all get unveiled around September. Despite earlier speculation about Qualcomm and MediaTek using an enhanced version of the node for an advantage, a tipster claims all three will use the same TSMC 2nm process. The longer production cycle for the 2nm node means chip designs might finalize earlier, allowing this unusual timing alignment.
MediaTek appears to be sticking with a single chip announcement, unlike its rivals planning dual offerings. The company does have a head start, having completed the initial tape-out for its 2nm design already. If this rumor holds, phones from various brands using these competing chips could hit the market around the same time, putting pressure on each company to deliver perfectly optimized performance and efficiency. Apple typically opens pre-orders for new iPhones about a week after their reveal, so no single player would have a major timing advantage.
The talk is that Apple's A20 and A20 Pro, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and its Pro variant, and MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 could all get unveiled around September. Despite earlier speculation about Qualcomm and MediaTek using an enhanced version of the node for an advantage, a tipster claims all three will use the same TSMC 2nm process. The longer production cycle for the 2nm node means chip designs might finalize earlier, allowing this unusual timing alignment.
MediaTek appears to be sticking with a single chip announcement, unlike its rivals planning dual offerings. The company does have a head start, having completed the initial tape-out for its 2nm design already. If this rumor holds, phones from various brands using these competing chips could hit the market around the same time, putting pressure on each company to deliver perfectly optimized performance and efficiency. Apple typically opens pre-orders for new iPhones about a week after their reveal, so no single player would have a major timing advantage.
