According to rumor, TSMC will provide chips for iPhone, Mac and Apple Car

Image: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

The Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, is often right about Apple projects well before they become public. And his latest report may seem dubious at first, but – if it is correct – it has huge implications for Apple futures products.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is the only supplier of Apple's A-series chips, which ensures the smooth operation of the company's iPhones. In a note shared with MacRumors, Kuo claims that TSMC is so superior to its competitors that it will continue to be Apple's only chip vendor for the A13 and A14 chips, which are expected to arrive in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Until here everything is fine. But more importantly, Kuo says TSMC will also start manufacturing ARM chips for Mac in 2020 and 2021, replacing Intel.

Finally, TSMC will manufacture chips for Apple's next Apple Car from 2023.

If this last element is a surprise, yes: Kuo still believes that Apple is working on the mythical Apple Car, despite reports that the company has (for the most part) abandoned the project, focusing instead on standalone technology. As for TSMC, he thinks it's the only company that can produce chips that are advanced enough for Apple's autopilot technology to support level 4 or 5 autonomous driving, as Apple wants. A level 4 vehicle behaves completely autonomously in certain situations and areas, but not all. A level 5 vehicle drives anywhere.

The move from Apple to TSMC chips instead of Intel chips in its MacBooks would also be a big problem, not just for Intel, which could lose a big customer, or at least a significant part of its business. This would mean that Apple would control pretty much everything that goes into making the MacBook, end-to-end, which means lower costs and, ultimately, a better product.

These predictions, while exciting, are by no means official. They look far into the future, and even if they are right, Apple could change its plans before that happens.