Tag: supply
India-US chip partnership could boost global chip supply chain
India is trying to emerge as a competitive alternative to China in the semiconductor sector amid heightened the intensifying chip war between the US and China.
India and the US last week signed a memorandum of understanding on establishing a semiconductor supply chain, which experts see as an opportunity for both nations to reduce global dependency on China.
“The MoU seeks to establish a collaborative mechanism for the semiconductor supply chain resiliency and diversification in view of the US CHIPS and Science Act and India Semiconductor Mission (ISM),” said Charlie Dai, vice president, and research director at research firm Forrester.
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Video: Testing OWC’s Thunderbolt 4 Dock With Built-In Power Supply
If you’ve used a Thunderbolt 4 dock, you know that most of them require a separate power supply to operate peripheral devices and provide passthrough charging. They’re often much more inconvenient than a bus-powered dock because of the bulk and the extra cable component.
The OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock’s power supply is included in the dock enclosure, so it’s an all-in-one device that does not require you to have an extra power brick. That functionality is useful at home, but also on the go if you need to work while traveling or away from your house. Note that you still need a power cable as the dock has to be plugged in, but it uses a single cord that plugs directly into the dock rather than into a separate power brick.
There are a total of 11 ports, including three Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB-C ports, three USB-A ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port (2.5 Gbps), an SD card reader, and an audio jack. The dock offers 90W of pass-through charging, so it’s suitable for all of Apple’s MacBooks. The only downside is the price, which is $349.
That’s not too outrageous for a Thunderbolt 4 dock given the built-in power supply and the number of ports, but there are cheaper Thunderbolt 4 options out there for those who don’t need this functionality, and it is not as full-featured as some competing docks at a similar price. This particular dock is best for those who need something that’s convenient for use in multiple locations given its portability.
What do you think of the Thunderbolt Go Dock? Let us know in the comments below.
This article, “Video: Testing OWC’s Thunderbolt 4 Dock With Built-In Power Supply” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Apple procures TSMC’s entire supply of 3nm chips, insiders say
Apple Orders Entire Supply of TSMC’s 3nm Chips for iPhone 15 Pro and M3 Macs
According to a paywalled DigiTimes report, Apple has procured 100% of the initial N3 supply, which is said to have a high yield, despite the higher costs involved and the decline in the foundry’s utilization rate in the first half of 2023. Mass production of TSMC’s 3nm process began in late December, and the foundry has scaled up process capacity at a gradual pace with monthly output set to reach 45,000 wafers in March, according to the report’s sources.
Apple is widely expected to adopt TSMC’s 3nm technology this year for the A17 Bionic chip likely to power the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. The 3nm technology is said to deliver a 35% power efficiency improvement over 4nm, which was used to make the A16 Bionic chip for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
The latter two iPhone models were the first smartphones to feature chips built on the 4nm process, and it looks like Apple is again attempting to be first to market with models based on the latest cutting-edge semiconductor technology.
Apple plans to release a new MacBook Air in the second half of 2023, and it may be equipped with a 3nm chip, according to a January report from DigiTimes. However, display industry analyst Ross Young in December claimed that a 15-inch MacBook Air would be released in the first half of 2023. If DigiTimes‘ outlook turns out to be accurate, then perhaps both 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs with M3 chips based on 3nm technology will launch in the second half of 2023 instead.
Looking further ahead, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros coming in 2024 will feature M3 Pro and M3 Max chips that are built on TSMC’s 3nm process. MacBook Pro models with the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips will go into mass production in the first half of 2024, according to Kuo.
The 3nm technology will offer improved performance and better power efficiency compared to the current chips manufactured on a 5-nanometer process, including the M2 Pro found in Apple’s current high-end Mac mini and the M2 Pro and M2 Max used in its latest 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
TSMC is poised to move to N3E – an enhanced version of N3, its first-generation 3nm technology – to commercial production in the second half of this year, and Apple will be the first customer to adopt the process, according to another report this week from DigiTimes. Nikkei Asia reported in September that Apple could adopt N3E for devices launching as soon as this year, but we’ve not seen any other reports corroborating this roadmap.
This article, “Apple Orders Entire Supply of TSMC’s 3nm Chips for iPhone 15 Pro and M3 Macs” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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