Analysts at IBS say TSMC’s 2-nanometer wafers for chip production could cost $30,000 a piece — 50% higher than the cost of 3-nm wafers, which cost about $20,000. Apple, which was the first to order 2-nm processors, is expected to see the biggest price increase. As a reminder, TSMC plans to implement them in 2025.
The largest chip customer in 2023, NVIDIA sells AI processors based on TSMC’s 5nm process. It is likely that NVIDIA will be looking for 3nm manufacturing capabilities while Apple will get 2nm chips.
In turn, TSMC will not rush to expand capacity, keeping in mind the crisis of overproduction that hit the market in 2022 – a shortage is always better for a manufacturer than a surplus. And, of course, even in the case of expansion, the cost of it will be transferred to the shoulders of customers. This, in turn, will lead to shortages if NVIDIA and others want to switch to new technologies. After all, “green” products related to AI will also increase in price.
In other words, ordinary buyers of smartphones, in particular Apple, should prepare for high prices in the coming years with the mastering of new technical processes by companies that concern users of AI computers and other chips. The era of inexpensive semiconductors is over and will come again soon.
3nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 likely to be manufactured at Samsung facilities while TSMC is loaded by Apple
Source: Wccftech
