Apple and TSMC unveiled the A20 Pro, the first iPhone chip built on TSMC's 2-nanometer process, at Apple's September 9 event. The launch lands as Nvidia has overtaken Apple as TSMC's largest customer and as analysts project far faster revenue growth for TSMC than for Apple.
Apple and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing unveiled the A20 Pro at Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event on September 9, the first iPhone processor built on TSMC's 2-nanometer (N2) node. The chip powers the new iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the folding iPhone Duo.
What the A20 Pro changes
Apple claims the A20 Pro delivers twice the sustained performance of the iPhone 16 Pro and 40% more than the iPhone 17 Pro. The chip carries a redesigned six-core CPU, with two "super cores" Apple says run 20% faster than the A19 Pro's performance cores, alongside four efficiency cores paired with dedicated neural accelerators. Its seven-core GPU delivers up to 40% higher performance than the A19 Pro.
The neural engine doubles to 32 total cores across two 16-core blocks, giving the chip twice the AI compute power of its predecessor. Memory bandwidth rose 50% on what Apple describes as the widest memory interface used in an iPhone, and the chip introduces wafer-level multi-chip module packaging that places DRAM directly next to the die. Apple did not disclose transistor counts or power consumption figures for the A20 Pro.
Nvidia overtakes Apple at TSMC
The launch arrives as TSMC's customer mix shifts. One client, largely assumed to be Apple, made up 25%, 22%, and 19% of TSMC's sales in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while TSMC's second-largest customer, widely assumed to be Nvidia, rose from 11% to 12% to 17% over the same years. According to various media reports and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Nvidia has since overtaken Apple as TSMC's top client as data center GPU demand accelerates.
Diverging growth forecasts
Wall Street analysts expect TSMC's revenue to grow 43% in 2026 and 34% in 2027, in New Taiwan dollars, against expected Apple revenue growth of about 15% this year and 10% next year. Apple has not embraced AI features at the pace of some competitors, while TSMC continues to expand around the AI infrastructure build-out.
Sources: The Motley Fool, Crypto Briefing
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