As TSMC prepares for 2nm wafer production in the final quarter of this year, Apple has reportedly seized nearly half of the initial capacity, and not just because the company will leverage it for the A20 and A20 Pro chipsets powering the iPhone 18 family in 2026. According to latest update, the technology giant is said to be preparing four SoCs mass produced on the advanced lithography, along with a new packaging that will undoubtedly be an upgrade over what the company is currently using.
A20, A20 Pro expected to adopt the newer WMCM packaging; new MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro are also expected to feature a 2nm silicon
Apart from Apple, Qualcomm and MediaTek have been reported to introduce their first 2nm chipsets in 2026, but the Cupertino firm will have the upper hand because this technology will likely be adopted in a multitude of its products. According to China Times, the A20 and A20 Pro are expected to utilize the bulk of TSMC’s initial 2nm capacity, and on top of that, Apple has previously been reported to adopt the advanced WMCM (Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module) packaging.
WMCM packaging technology allows companies like Apple to incorporate different parts while maintaining a small footprint of the chipset. Components like the CPU, GPU, DRAM and more can be integrated on a smaller packaging, creating a more powerful and efficient chipset design, leading to better performance, lowered thermals and by extension, increased battery life. Like the A19 and A19 Pro, we expect Apple to unveil three A20 versions instead of two, with the ‘Pro’ variant probably receiving the binning treatment.
You can read more about the differences between the A19, the binned A19 Pro, and the non-binned A19 Pro here. As for the other 2nm chipsets, a new MacBook Pro lineup will be armed with the M6, and by various accounts, this series could be where mini-LED is finally replaced by OLED. The new report also suggests that an Apple Vision Pro successor will not launch this year, but in 2026, where its R2 co-processor will also utilize TSMC’s 2nm process.
Interestingly, there is no mention of which primary SoC will be found in the headset’s innards, but we will likely find out in the coming weeks. TSMC’s 2nm technology is seemingly in high demand, with the semiconductor manufacturing behemoth estimated to churn out 100,000 monthly wafer units by the end of 2026 to sate the rising demand. Of course, this will be the company’s most expensive manufacturing process, costing approximately $30,000 per wafer, resulting in a hefty bill for its partners.
News Source: China Times
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