TSMC, Apple eye 1.4nm chips as costs surge ahead of 2028

Each 1.4 nm wafer from TSMC is estimated to cost $45,000. That's about half as much again as a 2 nm wafer, which Digitimes put near $30,000. And demand for the new node is arriving ahead of schedule.

A J.P. Morgan analyst note, shared on X by @OptionKing666, says TSMC is likely to race its 1.4nm node, also called A14, into mass production in the first half of 2028. Earlier reports pointed to the second half of that year. Pilot production is reportedly due in the third quarter of 2027.

AI chips will fall short of the demand through 2026 and 2027, offering little leeway to TSMC. The firm intends to distribute the A14 across four facilities at its Central Taiwan facility, according to TweakTown.

The company is also reportedly planning to use 1.4 nm fabrication to manufacture the A22 Pro for its high-end iPhones in 2028, per Bloomberg. 

According to TrendForce, Intel has been reportedly considered a secondary provider by the company.

The source says that Apple is no longer the most profitable client of TSMC, but the company still contributes a lot to the revenues. The switching will also mean that Apple uses 2 nm technology for only two generations before switching back again.

For Qualcomm and MediaTek, it would be a difficult choice, since both companies are already dealing with low demand of handsets due to the DRAM problem, so it is assumed that they will continue using 2nm technology for one more generation.

In case of the adoption of 1.4 nm technology by these companies, you will have to pay an extra price when buying smartphones.