Independent tech journalist Tim Culpan reports that Apple is now in early production of A16 chips at TSMC’s new Arizona plant.
The A16 is manufactured on an advanced 5nm process (some call it 4nm) that TSMC calls N4P. This is said to be the same process used at TSMC’s plant in Taiwan, and the Arizona plant apparently has yields (the percentage of good, usable chips per silicon wafer) that are only a little behind the Taiwan plant. The process is being refined, and yield parity will probably be achieved by the time the plant goes into full-volume production early in 2025.
The A16 was the chip used in the iPhone 14 Pro and the regular iPhone 15, which Apple still manufactures and sells.
It’s not clear where Apple will use the A16 chips manufactured at TSMC’s Arizona plant. It would be appropriate for the 7th-gen iPad mini, 11th-gen iPad, or as an upgrade to the Apple TV 4K. It could also wind up in next year’s iPhone SE. Any products that are released this year are unlikely to use the chips from the Arizona plant, but instead rely primarily on chips from TSMC’s Taiwan plants, perhaps supplementing or replacing the supply with chips from the Arizona plant early next year.
While the primary silicon for these A16-powered devices may be made in Arizona, Apple has not committed to final assembly of iPhones, iPads, or Apple TVs in the United States. Almost all Apple products are manufactured by Foxconn and Pegatron in locations such as China, India, and Taiwan, out of parts sourced from all over the world.