Amongst all of the tariff updates that we obtain each week, there’s another issue which may make Apple’s iPhones pricier: The swap to TSMC’s 2nm course of node. In keeping with a brand new leak, Apple, MediaTek, and Qualcomm are properly on their approach to switching to the 2nm course of, and which may enhance the price of a number of the finest smartphones.
The grim information comes from frequent leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo. In keeping with the tipster, Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek are anticipated to change to TSMC’s 2nm course of in 2026. That is excellent news performance-wise, however not a lot so far as prices are involved. TSMC’s 2nm course of will likely be extra environment friendly, providing higher efficiency throughout the board, nevertheless it’ll additionally value greater than 3nm and 5nm. Due to that, the leaker predicts: “There could also be one other spherical of worth will increase for brand spanking new telephones.”
Though Apple is alleged to not be utilizing the 2nm course of for the iPhone 17, most sources anticipate the corporate to put it to use for the iPhone 18 lineup. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo initially predicted that the quicker, extra environment friendly 2nm node could be reserved for Apple’s high-end telephones, beginning with the iPhone 18 Professional.
Nonetheless, as Wccftech stories, TSMC’s yields have been higher than anticipated, now reaching round 70% in January. This implies there’ll be extra of these 2nm-powered chips to go round. Once more, for us, the shoppers, that is largely excellent news. It implies that Apple’s complete iPhone 18 lineup would possibly profit from a quicker and extra environment friendly chip, bettering efficiency and probably battery life.
However, this additionally implies that if Apple has to pay extra to amass the method nodes from TSMC, then it’d enhance the prices of its telephones throughout your entire vary.
Wccftech elaborates on what would possibly occur subsequent with the costs of Apple merchandise. In keeping with the publication, Apple is unlikely to need to decrease its revenue margins in an effort to preserve the costs the identical, so iPhones constructed on a 2nm course of would possibly include a hefty worth hike in 2026. Apple may also need to work round import taxes. If reciprocal tariffs come into impact, the iPhone 16 Professional would possibly reportedly value $1,400 versus $999.
The present technology of iPhones would possibly get away with minimal worth hikes (or none in any respect), nevertheless it seems like we would need to pay extra for the generations that may comply with. As at all times, keep in mind that nothing is definite till Apple itself says so, and with the iPhone 18 greater than a yr away, leakers are largely simply speculating.