[News] Apple A22 Pro May Adopt 1.4nm in 2028; TSMC Remains Primary Supplier, Intel Reportedly Considered

Apple is expected to use TSMC’s 2nm for its A20 and A20 Pro chips, but industry discussions are already shifting to the A22 Pro and a potential move to 1.4nm. According to Bloomberg, Apple is expected to adopt a 1.4nm process for the A22 Pro, which is slated for high-end iPhone models in 2028. While TSMC is expected to remain Apple’s primary manufacturing partner, the report notes that the company is also evaluating Intel as a potential secondary production source.

Based on the reported timeline, the A21 Pro is expected to remain on TSMC’s 2nm, potentially transitioning to the enhanced N2P variant, which offers incremental improvements over N2, according to Wccftech.

Wccftech also notes that costs could rise significantly, with TSMC’s 1.4nm wafers estimated to cost around US$45,000 each. As a result, the report suggests that only the A22 Pro, rather than the standard A22, will be manufactured on the 1.4nm node.

As noted by MacRumors, current rumors suggest Intel could manufacture lower-end chips for products such as the iPad and Mac. At the same time, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is seeking to revive the company’s foundry business by focusing on leading-edge nodes. According to TechPowerUp, Intel expects its 14A node to enter risk production in 2028, followed by high-volume manufacturing in 2029.

Beyond the possibility of Apple adopting TSMC’s 1.4nm node for its A22 chips, the company is reportedly preparing three major product launches for late 2027. According to 9to5Mac, citing Bloomberg, these include a 20th-anniversary iPhone featuring a nearly edge-to-edge display and curved glass that wraps around the sides, a second-generation foldable iPhone, and AirPods equipped with built-in cameras.

TSMC’s A14 Roadmap Takes Shape

TSMC has been accelerating construction of its 1.4nm fab at the Central Taiwan Science Park. According to Economic Daily News, foundation piling for the first phase has largely been completed, with progress reportedly ahead of schedule. Trial production could begin as early as 3Q27, with mass production targeted for the second half of 2028.

Compared with N2, A14 is expected to deliver a 10–15% performance improvement at the same power level, or reduce power consumption by 25–30% at the same performance level, while increasing logic density by more than 20%, according to TSMC.

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