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In 2025, the race for high-end chips intensified between Qualcomm and Apple, two giants engaged in a nanometer battle where every innovation counts. According to several technological sources, Qualcomm would be taking a step ahead thanks to its new SoCs (System on Chip) engraved in 2 nanometers, supported by mass manufacturing by the Taiwanese founder TSMC.
2 nm etching represents a major advance in microelectronics. The thinner the node size, the more transistors the chip can integrate, improving computing power, energy efficiency, and embedded artificial intelligence capabilities.
According to TSMC, the transition from 3 nm to 2 nm would allow gains of 10 to 15% in performance or 25 to 30% in energy savings, at equivalent power.
According to Android Headlines, Qualcomm and MediaTek have chosen TSMC's N2P process, an improved version of 2nm, to produce their next generations of high-end chips as early as 2026. This rapid adoption of the new node would give them a temporary strategic advantage over Apple, which still monopolizes the majority of volumes on current 3nm processes.
For ZDNet France, Qualcomm could even surpass Apple in high-end SoC deliveries in 2025-2026, thanks to this anticipated technological transition and its strengthened collaboration with TSMC.
But this advance comes at a price, TSMC would have increased the price of its 2 nm wafers by more than 10%, due to the complexity of the process and the massive investments required for production.
This increase could affect the final price of high-end smartphones and computers, making the democratization of 2nm slower than expected.
Beyond technical processes, this evolution offers new opportunities for digital marketing and graphic design professionals.
Brands of smartphones, computers and mobile accessories will have stronger product arguments:
These innovations will allow creatives to design educational and immersive content: infographics explaining 3 nm → 2 nm engraving, visual performance comparisons, or storytelling around “miniaturized power”.
Despite Qualcomm's lead, Apple has not said its last word. The manufacturer would have already reserved a large part of the initial 2 nm capacity at TSMC, which could balance the competition as early as 2026.
The silicon battle therefore promises to be closer than ever, and every nanometer won could well redefine the SoC market hierarchy.
SDXcentral,
