iPhone 14 is slower than expected

The iPhone 13 is expected to be released this month. Would you rather wait a year for an even better iPhone? Then there’s bad news: It looks like the iPhone 14 is going to be slower than expected.

Delay new chips

Chip manufacturer TSMC, which supplies the chips for Apple’s processors, among other things, has indicated in an ‘earnings call’ that extra time is needed before the company can build its next generation of chips.

These new chips are made with a new 3nm process, which is smaller than the 5nm on the current M1 and A14 Bionic. A smaller process means that more transistors can be processed on a smaller surface. This gives you much better performance from a processor, without compromising energy efficiency or size.

The upcoming A15 processor, which is expected in the iPhone 13, still uses the larger 5nm process. The A16 processor was supposed to make the switch to 3nm in the iPhone 14 in September 2022. However, TSMC’s delay makes this plan unfeasible.

iPhone 14: slower or later?

Due to the 3nm chips not being ready in time, Apple will have to delay the release of the iPhone 14 until later in 2022, or postpone the use of the 3nm process by a year.

Apple still has the option to make the A16 with a 4nm process. This chip technology is on schedule at TSMC. This would improve the efficiency of the chip compared to older Apple processors. The question is, however, whether Apple is willing to invest in a process that they will only use for one year.

For now, all eyes are still on the A15 chip in the new iPhone, as well as the M1X expected in upcoming Macs. Apple is rumored to have three events planned in which these processors will be featured.