Chip manufacturer TSMC begins mass production of “A13” processor for next-gen iPhones

Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co has apparently begun production of its next iPhone System-on-Chip processor, the “A13,” prior to Apple’s anticipated iPhone refresh in September.

Firms in the iPhone supply chain are expected to be working to produce components in preparation for assembly of the latest iPhone models at this time of year.

According to an internal source, TSMC went into early test production of the A13 chip in April, with mass production planned for “as early as this month.” 

It’s thought that the A13 chip will include both general and graphical performance increases over earlier processor generations.

TSMC’s manufacturing capacity for the 7-nanometer production process could be maxed out for this year’s models, and could possibly exclude TSMC’s other clients for the quarter.

The “A13” could be the last A-series chip TSMC produces for Apple using a 7-nanometer process. The “A14” for 2020 may use a 6-nanometer process, while a 5-nanometer process is also under development that could be used for future versions. 

The 2019 iPhones are rumored to be called the “iPhone XI,” “iPhone XI Max,” and the “iPhone XE,” updated variants of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. While staying relatively similar in terms of design, with an expected spec bump, the main change is the addition of an extra camera for each, with the two premium models having three cameras to the “XE” having two. 

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via AppleInsider and Bloomberg