A22 Pro Chips Skip Two Generations, Jump to 1.4nm in 2028

Published by Robert Granstone on June 16, 2026June 16, 2026

What You Need to Know

Apple plans 1.4-nanometer chips by 2028, skipping two full generations from current 3nm process.
A22 Pro chips offer 15 percent better performance than 2nm or 30 percent lower power consumption.
TSMC will manufacture majority of A22 Pro chips using its A14 node technology.
Intel may fabricate some A22 Pro chips, addressing supply constraints from TSMC’s limited capacity.

Apple’s roadmap for 2028 calls for its first 1.4-nanometer chips, with TSMC set to manufacture the majority of the A22 Pro using its A14 node. That process brings either up to 15 percent better performance than 2nm chips, or equivalent performance with 30 percent lower power consumption. The choice between those two profiles will depend on how Apple prioritizes battery life versus raw speed.

The jump to 1.4nm skips past two full generations. Current iPhone 17 models run on a 3nm process, and the iPhone 18 Pro lineup will be the first to move to 2nm chips when it arrives in September 2026. The iPhone 18 Pro Max and the foldable iPhone expected the same year will share that 2nm architecture, which will carry through 2027 before Apple upgrades to 1.4nm.

Intel’s Unexpected Role

The more unusual detail in Bloomberg’s report is Intel’s potential involvement. Apple is considering having Intel fabricate some A22 Pro chips using Apple’s own Arm-based designs, a different arrangement from the Intel-designed x86 processors Apple used in Macs before its own silicon transition. Current rumors place Intel making lower-end chips for iPad and Mac, but CEO Lip-Bu Tan has been pushing Intel’s manufacturing arm toward advanced nodes, and Intel’s 14A process for 1.4nm production is expected to reach readiness in 2028.

Supply pressure explains why Apple is looking at a second manufacturer at all. On Apple’s last earnings call, Tim Cook said iPhone 17 models were constrained during the quarter because Apple couldn’t source enough A19 and A19 Pro chips from TSMC. AI server demand from companies like NVIDIA has tightened TSMC’s advanced-node capacity considerably.

Every step down in node size raises production costs and reduces available volume, so the constraint problem does not automatically ease just because the technology advances. Adding Intel as a secondary fabricator would give Apple some insurance, even if Intel starts with lower-end devices before taking on Pro-tier chips.

Source: Apple’s 2028 iPhones to Use 1.4nm A22 Pro Chips (macrumors.com)