iPhone 15 Pro’s Next-Gen Chip Capabilities Expected to Spark Upgrade Demand Among Current iPhone Owners
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 Pro models may spark a “replacement demand” among owners of older iPhones, due to the significant improvements enabled by the A17 processor, Apple’s first iPhone chip based on TSMC’s first-generation 3-nanometer process.
That’s according to suppliers involved in Apple’s iPhone supply chain. Quoting from the latest DigiTimes industry report:
TSMC’s N3E (3nm enhanced) technology will enable significant specification upgrades in the upcoming iPhone series, the sources said. Suppliers involved in the iPhone supply chain anticipate replacement demand for the 2023 models.
As we’ve been hearing lately, Apple is widely expected to adopt TSMC’s 3nm technology this year for the A17 Bionic chip that is likely to power the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models.
The first-gen 3nm process (also known as N3) is said to deliver a 35% power efficiency improvement over TSMC’s 5nm-based N4 fabrication process, which was used to make the A16 Bionic chip for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The N3 technology will also offer significantly improved performance compared to current chips manufactured on 5nm.
Reports suggest Apple has procured 100% of the initial orders for the first-gen 3nm technology, despite the higher costs involved in manufacturing, suggesting rival smartphone vendors like Samsung are willing to wait until prices come down while they weather what is expected to be a bleak 2023 for the Android market amid global economic turbulence.
Apple’s faster A17 chips will be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, while the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will adopt the A16 chip that was first used in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. TSMC is poised to move N3E – an enhanced version of N3 – to commercial production in the second half of this year, and Apple is again expected to be the first customer to adopt the process.
The 2023 iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to feature USB-C instead of Lightning, solid-state volume and power buttons, new periscope camera technology, a tweaked design, and more. For all the details, check out our dedicated iPhone 15 Pro roundup.
Popular Stories
Kuo: New iPhone SE With 6.1-Inch OLED Display and Apple’s 5G Chip Planned
Apple has restarted development of a fourth-generation iPhone SE with a 6.1-inch OLED display and an Apple-designed 5G chip, according to the latest information shared by reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. This reversal comes nearly two months after Kuo said Apple had abandoned its plans to release a new iPhone SE in 2024.
In a series of tweets today, Kuo said the new iPhone SE will be…
iPhone 15 USB-C Cables Without MFi Badge May Have Data Transfer and Charging Speed Limits
Apple’s iPhone 15 series will officially only support USB-C accessories that have been certified by Apple’s own Made for iPhone (MFi) program, potentially limiting the functionality of accessories not approved by Apple, an established leaker has now claimed.
Since being introduced in 2012, first-party and MFi-certified Lightning ports and connectors have contained a small integrated circuit…
Microsoft Announces iMessage Support on Windows With Several Limitations
Microsoft today announced that it is adding iPhone support to its Phone Link app on Windows 11. The app allows iPhone users to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, and view an iPhone’s notifications directly on a PC.
Notably, the app brings limited iMessage functionality to Windows. After pairing an iPhone with a PC via Bluetooth and granting some permissions on the…
iPhone 15 Pro Launching This Year With These 8 New Features
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 series in September as usual. So far, rumors suggest the Pro models will have at least eight exclusive features that will not be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, as outlined below.
An overview of the eight features rumored to be exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro models:A17 chip: iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to be equipped with…
Google Chrome’s Latest Optimizations Let You Watch YouTube for 18 Hours on the M2 MacBook Pro
The latest version of the Google Chrome browser designed for Macs includes optimizations that are designed to preserve battery life. In a blog post shared today, Google says that with a single full charge, a 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro running Chrome can be used to browse the internet for 17 hours or watch YouTube for 18 hours.
With improvements to Energy Saver mode, browsing time is extended for …
