Apple iPhone 12 Update: Tim Cook’s Firm Ups Chip Orders From TSMC

A new report reveals that Apple has ordered more 5-nanometer chips from one of its key suppliers in China.

Apple has been working with key component manufacturers to produce the parts and pieces necessary for its devices, including its iPhones. One of these suppliers, TSMC, is known for producing some of the chips that the Cupertino-based tech giant is using on its handsets.

According to a new report from the China Taiwan Economic Daily (via Apple Insider), Apple has increased its order for 5nm chips that are believed to be for use on the upcoming iPhone 12 series.The increase in Cupertino's order comes after TSMC lost a significant order from Chinese tech giant Huawei.

The report, first spotted by IT Home, says Apple has ordered the production of 10,000 more processors in the fourth quarter of 2020. The orders are for 5nm processors believed to be the A14 chip, which will succeed the A13 Bionic that's being used on the current iPhone models. The new chips will power the Cupertino tech giant's upcoming handsets in the iPhone 12 lineup.

Apple's move comes after Huawei cancelled its order for about the same amount of chips. Both TSMC and Huawei didn't provide an explanation as to why the Chinese smartphone giant made its move.

A new chip

Previous reports revealed that the A14 chip, mentioned above, is definitely more powerful than the A13 Bionic powering the iPhone 11 series. The new 5nm chip might even rival or surpass the A12X chip powering the 2018 iPad Pro.

According to Geekbench test results spotted by Research Snipers, the new A14 chip has reached 3.1GHz clock speeds. This is significantly higher than the A13 Bionic's 2.7GHz, MacRumors pointed out. Single-core and multi-core scores also vary greatly between the two processors. The A14 boasted of 25% higher single-core scores and 33% higher multi-core score scores compared to the A13 Bionic.

The A14's single-core and multi-core scores also surpass that of the A12X's, Apple Insider noted. The A14's 1658 single-core and 4612 multi-core scores are definitely higher than the A12X's 1110 single-core and 4568 multi-core scores.