Apple was reportedly looking to launch the iPhone 17 Pro in 2025 with a 2nm chipset, but may have to delay its plans by 12 months, South Korea reported.
The latest information from industry insiders says that TSMC is struggling with wafer yields and that 2nm chips have yet to be certified for mass production. There is too much demand for trial products and the Taiwanese manufacturer is forced to adapt its existing facilities to the new process, which will take time.
TSMC exclusively produces chips for Apple devices such as iPhone and MacBook, but the Taiwanese company also serves other major customers such as Nvidia and Qualcomm. Allegedly, these two companies are in talks with Samsung Electronics to expand production to Korean foundries if tensions in Taiwan worsen.
TSMC currently produces 10,000 wafers per month, with plans to expand to 80,000 by 2026. Its Arizona plant will help achieve a total production capacity of 140,000.
TSMC semiconductor manufacturing site in Phoenix, Arizona
Taiwan’s Economic Daily reported that the yield of 2nm wafers is at 60%, indicating that 40% of each wafer is unusable. With the cost of producing a wafer at KRW 44 million (about $30,000), TSMC effectively loses $120 million per month due to imperfections in the new process.
The solution is simple: Apple will continue to use a 3nm process for another year, allowing TSMC to increase yield and improve pricing. Samsung also faces challenges: The South Korean company must increase both the yield and performance of its 2nm chips, which are already inferior to its main Taiwanese rival.
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