Apple will outsource all of its major 5G modem chip orders to TSMC for manufacturing using a 2-nanometer process. (Reuters)
Foreign media have recently reported that Apple will transfer some of its chip manufacturing orders to Intel , breaking TSMC's (2330) previous monopoly on Apple's chip manufacturing orders. However, industry insiders revealed that Apple still relies heavily on TSMC and will entrust TSMC with the production of its self-developed 5G modem chips using a 2-nanometer process. TSMC will then subcontract the back-end testing orders to its subsidiary, Jingcai (3374), which has urgently purchased 600 testing machines to cope with the situation.
It is reported that Apple has developed its own 5G modem chip, which will be used in terminal devices such as iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. After that, it will no longer use Qualcomm modem chips. It is estimated that the number of Apple's self-developed 5G modem chips used in products such as iPhone will be as high as hundreds of millions.
Sources revealed that Apple is expected to fully adopt its own 5G modem chip, C2, starting next year. It will not only fully support millimeter wave technology, overcoming the previous weakness of only supporting the Sub-6 GHz band, but will also introduce satellite communication functions.
TSMC has received an order from Apple to manufacture its own 5G modem chip. However, TSMC's back-end wafer testing capacity is almost fully booked with demand from AI chip manufacturers such as Nvidia, Google, Microsoft, Meta, and AMD. It is reported that TSMC's subsidiary, Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Systems, has urgently purchased 600 testing machines in preparation for securing the large order for testing Apple's 5G modem chip. The new capacity will gradually be available starting next year.
Regarding the news that Apple has approached Intel to manufacture chips, industry insiders believe that the information still needs to be confirmed. Even if Apple does transfer some chip orders to Intel, it does not mean that it will abandon TSMC.
台積電奪蘋果數據機晶片大單 | 聯合新聞網
外媒近期頻頻報導，蘋果將把部分晶片代工訂單轉往英特爾，打破台積電過往獨攬蘋果晶片代工訂單局面。惟業界人士透露，蘋果仍高度仰賴台積電，將把自研5G數據機晶片大單全數交由台積電以2奈米製程生產，台積電並將其後段測試訂單交給轉投資精材承接，精材為此緊急採購600台測試機因應。
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