Mass production of the A15 chip for the iPhone 13 will begin ahead of schedule in late May

Apple’s longtime provider, TSMC, will begin mass shipments of Apple’s next A15 chip for the iPhone 13 ahead of schedule in late May, according to an excerpt from a full report to be released tomorrow by DigiTimes.

The new chip will be based on an improved version of the 5 nm process, which debuted for the first time on the A14 Bionic with the iPad Air and iPhone 12 line of 2020. Although the full report will likely offer more details on the specifics of the new chip that will power next-generation iPhones, it can be reasonably assumed that it will improve performance and energy efficiency.

Due to impacts on suppliers as a result of the global health crisis, Apple launched the “iPhone 12” series in October, outside the normal September deadline. With the effects of supply chains shrinking, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple is on track to launch the iPhone 13 in September. With TSMC believed to now begin mass shipments of the new chip ahead of schedule, it certainly seems to be the case.

The improved performance and energy efficiency on the A15 will be one of the many features that are rumored to arrive in the 2021 iPhones. Information so far suggests that Apple will move the handset to the top frame for the next iPhones, resulting in a smaller notch.

Internally, Apple is expected to include a 120Hz ProMotion and will always be on display for at least some 13‌ iPhone models. Additional features include a new matte black option that is rumored, better fingerprint resistance for stainless steel edges, and possibly a fingerprint sensor on the screen.