The next big Apple chip innovation coming as soon as 2026

Though we are getting some pretty great upgrades in this year’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max line with the introduction of a 3nm chip in the form of the A17 Pro, we won’t get a similarly big manufacturing upgrade until 2026. The introduction of 3nm technology will further benefit the current MacBooks, where 2nm chips will only further improve it.

As originally reported by renowned industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple aims to use 2nm technology to make iPhone processors ‘as early as 2026’. Apple is a long-term partner of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) which produces and manufactures the 3nm chip we’ve seen in this year’s lineup.

Smaller is better — iMore’s take

The race to smaller chips has been beneficial to customers for years. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 17 Pro chip is 3nm making it more efficient and powerful with the same space. This allows Apple to cram just a little more into each phone. Smaller chips are achieved through shrinking components on that chip, making room for more additions.

With the introduction of a 2nm chip, Apple will be capable of making their devices much more powerful, without having to increase the size or cooling. However, the introduction date of 2026 or later means that the iPhone 16 in 2024, the iPhone 17 in 2025, and possibly the iPhone 18 in 2026 will all be based on 3nm architecture. This does not mean that future chips won’t get more powerful as they have continued to do so every year. 3nm chips will get bigger and better as new tech is designed but will get another bump with the arrival of 2nm chips.

Nvidia also has plans to secure 2nm chip orders so it seems likely Apple aren’t the only manufacturers aiming to take advantage of this tech. In response to this interest, TSMC is strengthening its partnership with Arm Holdings PLC (ARM) to secure these chips. 2026 is sure to be a big year for the mobile marketplace.