TSMC has stepped up the production plan of the N3 process node, and the Apple M3 series will realize a full line of self-developed chips

Apple is moving from Intel x86 processors to self-developed chips as planned, and with the release of multiple new Mac products in 2022, it is likely that all of them will use M series self-developed chips except for the most high-end Mac Pro. Previously, there were media reports that Apple's self-developed chip plan is updated every 18 months. According to this schedule, Apple will launch the M3 series of chips in 2023.

At the same time, TSMC is working intensively to promote mass production at the N3 process node. It is understood that TSMC will mass-produce N3 process nodes in the second half of 2022, the first batch of 3nm chips will be shipped in early 2023, and it plans to mass-produce an enhanced 3nm process called N3E in the second half of 2023. The N3 process node still uses the structure of The FinFET transistor and will become another large-scale mass production and long-lasting process node of TSMC, while N3E, as an extension of N3, will have better performance and power consumption.

According to DigiTimes, Apple's first chip made from TSMC's N3 process node will be released in 2023, most likely the A17 Bionic or M3 chip, powering the 2023 Mac and iPhone models for better performance and longer battery life. Judging from the arrangements of both sides, the time is very tight. As the largest customer of TSMC, Apple occupies more than a quarter of the share, and it is believed that the production arrangement will also revolve around Apple's products.

It has been reported that Apple's third-generation M series SoC using the 3nm process, its code names are Ibiza, Lobos and Palma, corresponding to different levels of performance requirements. It is said that the top chip will be configured with 40 CPU cores to meet the performance needs of workstations like the Mac Pro, and it is believed that the Intel Xeon processor used by the Mac Pro will be completely replaced.