Apple’s ups A18 chip orders ahead of expected AI surge in iPhone 16 demand

Apple has reportedly upped its order of next-generation A18 SoCs from TSMC to between 90 million and 100 million units, due to expected high demand for its upcoming iPhone 16 lineup. Analysts estimate that Apple initially ordered a chip run of 80 million to 90 million for last year’s iPhone 15 lineup.

China Times (via machine Chinese – English translation):
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Apple’s new AI mobile phone iPhone 16 is coming soon, which will set off the upsurge of replacements. The whole series of products are expected to be equipped with TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process N3E chip, using FinFlex technology to balance performance and power consumption, and greatly increase transistor count. The supply chain revealed that Apple has raised the order of A18 chips. The increased order, coupled with the M4 series chip, is ready to go, and will be fabricated by TSMC in the second half of the year.

Apple’s iPhone 16 basic models (16 and 16 Plus) use the A18 processor, continuing the original A17 Pro processor design, but changing to the TSMC N3E process; and the iPhone 16 Pro (Pro and Pro Max or Ultra) adopts a newly designed A18 Pro processor, which is 15% to 20% larger than A18, to carry more graphics and AI computing units.

Apple was the largest customer of TSMC in 2024 and contributed a quarter of its revenue last year.

The 8GB memory of the four new machines of the iPhone 16 series has become the standard… In the future, if you want to enjoy Apple’s AI functions, you must upgrade to a modern iPhone.

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