Apple has launched mass production of the M5 chip

Apple has started mass production of its new M5 series processors. It is expected that the first devices with these chips may appear as early as this year.

What else is known

According to the report, the company began packaging the M5 chips last month. This stage is the final stage in semiconductor manufacturing and includes protecting the chip, as well as ensuring its electrical connections to other components.

As before, the production of silicon wafers for the M5 is entrusted to TSMC. Packaging is handled by Apple's OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) partners, including Taiwan's ASE Group, the US Amkor and China's JCET. ASE is reportedly the first to join mass production, while Amkor and JCET will start work later.

The initial batch consists of the basic version of the M5, without advanced modifications such as the M5 Pro, M5 Max and M5 Ultra. At the same time, OSAT companies are actively expanding production capacities to ensure the release of more productive models in the future.

The M5 series chips will be built on an improved ARM architecture and will be manufactured using TSMC's 3nm technology. Apple's rejection of the 2nm process is most likely dictated by financial considerations.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the first device based on the M5 will be the new iPad Pro, the mass production of which should start in the second half of 2025.