The
chip manufacturerTSMC, which is in charge of the processors of
the Ax series of iPhones for several years now, will also
take care of the successor to the A11 Bionic chip in the iPhone 8 and
chip will integrate the next three iPhone models of 2018.
The CEO of TSMC announced last week during a conference
phone call with several financial analysts that his firm has
started productionof chips using anouveau
finer engraving process in 7 nm.
Although the latter does not reveal what type of component it is, being
given that the apple firm is TSMC's largest customer, it is strong
probable that the first chip to benefit from 7 nm engraving will be the
A12 chipwhich will be used for the next three iPhones
2018.
Going from 10 nm to 7 nm engraving bringsseveral
benefits, like areduced chip size by 70
%while retaining the same number of transistors and a
lower energy consumptionof the order of
60 %.
Qualcomm, TSMC's main competitor which manufactures chips for
Android smartphones, would not start burning 7nm chips before the
end of the year, it could therefore be that the first Android smartphones with
this type of chip would not be released before 2019.
Apple's mobile chips regularly win the prize of the best
performance during the various benchmark tests, and it is very likely
may this still be the case with the next generation of A12 chips from
iPhone to come.
Deputy editor-in-chief, also known under the pseudonym Teza. Former video games journalist, who has been immersed in tech and Apple products since his very first iPhone 3GS in 2009. He has since worked for several American tech sites and now for iPhon.fr. Incidentally YouTuber and Apple product specialist on the MobileAddict channel. To contact me: maxime[a]iphon.fr
