TSMC starts taping out the design for the 10nm Apple A11 chipset?

posted by Alan F.

May 06, 2016, 1:51 AM

TSMC starts taping out the design for the 10nm Apple A11 chipset?

According to industry sources, TSMC has started the process of designing the A11 chipset that will power the 2017 iteration of the Apple iPhone. If everything remains the same and Apple continues to use a two-year cycle with its smartphone, the A11 will be found under the hood of the Apple iPhone 7s and Apple iPhone 7s Plus.

The Apple A11 SoC will be made using the 10nm FinFET process. The industry sources say that TSMC will have its 10nm process certified during the fourth quarter of this year, and will deliver samples to customers during the first quarter of 2017. As for the A11, TSMC could produce a small number of chips during the second quarter of 2017. Revenues from A11 sales should start flowing into TSMC's coffers in the third quarter of next year..

While TSMC is rumored to be manufacturing 100% of the A10 chipsets produced, the industry sources say that it will be responsible for two-thirds of the A11 production. The name of the other A11 chip manufacturer was not disclosed, although it most likely will be Samsung.

source: Digitimes

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26 Comments

21. oozz009

Posts: 520; Member since: Jun 22, 2015

We have reached the point where our smartphones are as quick as our laptops and as game performant as our consoles (almost), so seriously! Who needs more right now??

posted on May 06, 2016, 2:29 PM 0

26. DanishPastry

Posts: 16; Member since: Aug 13, 2014

Because that is how progress is made, not by saying "we don't need anymore right now", but by exploring and expanding boundaries. Still, there are many things to improve on even on the latest smartphones.

posted on May 09, 2016, 7:28 AM 0

7. BradyCrack

Posts: 835; Member since: Dec 29, 2015

Well I hope! Apple will be behind again if it wasn't a 10nm! Given the SD 830 is said to be 10nm as well.

posted on May 06, 2016, 3:25 AM 1

16. abdoualgeria

Posts: 928; Member since: Jul 27, 2015

Exynos 9 on 10nm LPP too

posted on May 06, 2016, 6:39 AM 0

2. ibend

Posts: 6747; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

while last year they said that 10nm for 2016 and 7nm for 2017..http://www.phonearena.com/news/TSMCs-10nm-test-next-month-crucial-for-Apple-A10-orders_id69651 upcoming A10 isnt even 10nm

posted on May 06, 2016, 2:21 AM 1

5. BradyCrack

Posts: 835; Member since: Dec 29, 2015

Isn't that speculation? This is more then a report then rumors.

posted on May 06, 2016, 3:23 AM 0

1. vuyonc

Posts: 1094; Member since: Feb 24, 2014

TSMC staying on 16nm + Samsung making their 14nm node cheaper = no major performance boost expected this year :/

posted on May 06, 2016, 2:15 AM 0

3. ibend

Posts: 6747; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

SD825, SD828, SD830 is 10nm from samsung and will come Q4 2016

posted on May 06, 2016, 2:27 AM 3

4. BradyCrack

Posts: 835; Member since: Dec 29, 2015

Yet it still won't be as fast as the A10 in real world performance.

posted on May 06, 2016, 3:20 AM 2

6. NoToFanboys

Posts: 3231; Member since: Oct 03, 2015

That more on iOS' optimization than on the SoC.

posted on May 06, 2016, 3:25 AM 2

8. BradyCrack

Posts: 835; Member since: Dec 29, 2015

Excuses don't decide which smartphone is overall faster. Say a fat guy and skinny guy race. Who would win? The skinny guy of course! So in a way you're saying the fat guy is as fast, but only slower because of his weight. While it's probably true. It doesn't change the fact that the skinny guy is the faster person. I'm not against what you are saying, and it's certainly true. But it doesn't change the fact that the iPhone 7 will beat the Samsung S8 in real life performance.

posted on May 06, 2016, 3:40 AM 3

10. tedkord

Posts: 17529; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

To disprove your simple minded false equivalency - I've got a buddy in the Army Reserves, and in physical fitness tests fat guys often outrun skinny guys. Here's a better comparison - my 500mHz Celeron PC with 512mb of DDR can play Pong smoother than my 2.0GHz Core i7 with 8gb of DDR3 does some of the newest games at ultra high settings. But so what? Does that mean it's faster?

posted on May 06, 2016, 3:49 AM 7

12. BradyCrack

Posts: 835; Member since: Dec 29, 2015

Haha the problem is that is the simplest comparison ive got! Given that larger people contain more energy in the form of fat, it makes sense that they could outrun skinny guys in far running. That's why Marathon runners will drink coke and other sugary substances for energy. But speed? I'm not so sure.

posted on May 06, 2016, 4:35 AM 0

18. hmmm...

Posts: 81; Member since: Jun 05, 2013

Not true, professional long distances runners are thin while short distance runners are much larger. What you said doesn't make sense at all. More fat doesn't mean the body can use it as efficiently for energy compared to using carbs.

posted on May 06, 2016, 9:57 AM 3

11. NoToFanboys

Posts: 3231; Member since: Oct 03, 2015

First, it is not an excuse, I am not defending SD or anything. Second, I only stated a fact, no need to go nuts. I completely agree that the iPhone is REALLY fast, pair that with it's NVMe storage on the 6S, what I dont like is that people talk as if its SoC's RAW power is far ahead of the competition, completely disregarding iOS' optimizadion

posted on May 06, 2016, 4:15 AM 1

14. stanislav

Posts: 136; Member since: Sep 22, 2014

When it come out was with MUCH, higher RAW power than the competition both cpu and gpu

posted on May 06, 2016, 6:05 AM 0

17. Ruturaj

Posts: 1484; Member since: Oct 16, 2014

No one was comparing phones, I can see that post no. 3 was about SOC and 4 was about SOC and you suddenly started talking about whole phone. That is just stupid.

posted on May 06, 2016, 9:55 AM 2

24. anglosaxonengland

Posts: 64; Member since: Sep 11, 2013

It's not exactly just that. Apple's own SOC design seems to offer more performance per clock. It's just like going back to the Pentium D and Core 2 Duo days, whole the slowest 1.8Ghz Core 2 Duo would out perform the 3.4 Ghz Pentium D. Likewise, it also similar to how the newer Cortex based CPUs (the A53/A57 bundles) running at 2Ghz can outperform the older 2.7Ghz Snapdragon 805 running on four Karit 450 cores.

posted on May 06, 2016, 9:33 PM 0

25. NoToFanboys

Posts: 3231; Member since: Oct 03, 2015

I am completely aware of that, I don't think people get my point

posted on May 07, 2016, 4:31 AM 0

9. tedkord

Posts: 17529; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Why not? The current gen CPUs are as fast as the current Apple. Faster in some respects. Troll elsewhere.

posted on May 06, 2016, 3:44 AM 4

19. TechieXP1969

Posts: 14967; Member since: Sep 25, 2013

And in the real world an iPhone still can't do what the Galaxy S and Note can. The iPhone performance is not faster than The Galaxy S and Note. Considering both the Note and S are equally as fast doing far more which each clock cycle proves they are faster. You just keep bragging about the iPhone being so fast at doing NOTHING. Have you seen the videos of peopel who manage to get Windows running on the Apple Watch vs one for Android Wear? How come the Android Wear device ran it faster than the Apple Watch? FACT - If I could put IOS on the recent Galaxy S and change nothing, it would be at least 5 times faster than the iPhone. But if I put Android/TouchWiz that is on the S7 on the iPhone's hardware, it would not even run. It would be so slow that it would take several seconds for a touch to even register. You're pathetic.

posted on May 06, 2016, 10:47 AM 2

20. Ruturaj

Posts: 1484; Member since: Oct 16, 2014

I think android on iphone would run pretty fine (not as good as note 4 and beyond). Surely not taking seconds to register touch.

posted on May 06, 2016, 11:59 AM 0

22. kiko007

Posts: 7525; Member since: Feb 17, 2016

There you go calling people names again because they disagree with you. Your delusional rants offer nothing to your point and are too long to navigate. Oh...and bringing watches into a discussion about phone speed undermines the entire point of your post BTW.