According to reports, TSMC is expected to begin mass production of its 2-nanometer chips by the end of 2025, with Apple (AAPL-US) securing nearly half of the initial capacity. This move highlights Apple's strong position in the race for advanced semiconductor processes. Industry observers anticipate that this technology will debut in the 2026 iPhone 18 series, underlining Apple's strategic focus on leading-edge chip development.

DIGITIMES notes that TSMC plans to launch 2nm production in Q4 2025, steadily ramping up output at its Hsinchu Baoshan and Kaohsiung facilities. By the end of 2026, all capacity is expected to be fully utilized by clients, including Apple, AMD, Broadcom, Intel, MediaTek, and Qualcomm. As production expands further in 2026, additional companies like NVIDIA are likely to join in 2027.

Among these key clients, Apple remains TSMC's top priority, securing almost half of the available capacity, with Qualcomm as the second-largest customer. This ensures that Apple will have priority access to the latest process technology over the next few years, strengthening both product performance and market competitiveness.

While 2nm chips won't appear in the upcoming iPhone 17 series, industry analysts widely expect the iPhone 18 in 2026 to showcase this technology. Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has repeatedly predicted Apple's adoption of TSMC's 2nm process, a view increasingly shared across the industry.

The 2nm process promises significant improvements in performance and energy efficiency. With advanced packaging techniques, performance could rise by 10–15% over current chips, while reducing power consumption, extending battery life, and lowering heat output. Apple is reportedly planning to use wafer-level multi-chip module (MCM) packaging for its future A20 processors, allowing multiple chip variants within the same series without relying on traditional binning methods.

As TSMC continues to expand its advanced process capacity, Apple once again secures a lead in access to cutting-edge chips. Experts believe this development will not only shape the performance of future smartphones but also reinforce the critical roles of TSMC and Apple in the global semiconductor competition and supply chain.