Apple's future-gen iPhone 18 in 2026 to use 2nm chip made by TSMC, iPhone 17 chip made on 3nm

Apple has just unleashed its new iPhone 16 family, with its iPhone 17 family coming in 2025... but the iPhone 18 is when the company will use TSMC's bleeding-edge 2nm process node for its latest A-series processors.

In a new post on X, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo explained that all four iPhone 17 models will use the same 3nm chips in 2025, but there will be some iPhone 18 models that will use more advanced 2nm chips. I recently covered a story recently where Apple executives took a secret visit to TSMC to secure the very first batch of 2nm chips, which look to be going in (at least some) new iPhone 18 models.

Kuo posted: "The processors for 2025 iPhone 17 models will be made by TSMC's N3P process/3-nanometer technology. The processor for 2026 iPhone 18 models is anticipated to use TSMC's 2-nanometer technology. However, due to cost concerns, not all new iPhone 18 models may be equipped with a 2-nanometer processor".

We should expect the top-tier iPhone 18 Air, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max get the newer 2nm chip made at TSMC, while the iPhone 18 might get a refreshed 3nm chip (making the phone cheaper, the more expensive bleeding-edge 2nm chips will cost more, so they'll go into the higher-end iPhone 18 models).

• Read more: Apple is TSMC's first 2nm client of 2025: new iPhone 17, M5 chips
• Read more: Apple to use TSMC's 2nm process, SoIC-X packaging tech in 2H 2025
• Read more: Apple executives 'secretly visit' TSMC to secure first batch of 2nm chips
• Read more: Apple's next-gen iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air: 120Hz ProMotion displays
• Read more: Apple iPhone 16 Pro teardown: A18 Pro smaller logic board, densely packed
• Read more: Apple's new A18 Pro in iPhone 16 Pro, Pro Max: TSMC 3nm, CPU, GPU, NPU faster
• Read more: Apple to ditch Qualcomm 5G chips with its own in-house 5G chips in new ultra-slim iPhone 17