Copilot:
Yes—3nm smartphones are selling well, driven by demand for on-device AI and flagship performance. TSMC’s 3nm capacity is fully booked into 2026, and 3nm SoCs are expected to power one-third of all smartphones by next year.
3nm Smartphone Sales: Strong Uptake, Premium Focus
- TSMC’s 3nm node is in high demand, with capacity utilization projected to hit 100% through H1 2026, fueled by Apple, Qualcomm, MediaTek, and AI server demand.
- 3nm and 2nm SoCs will power ~33% of smartphones by 2026, according to Counterpoint Research.
- Apple’s A17 Pro (iPhone 15 Pro) kicked off 3nm adoption in 2023, followed by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and MediaTek Dimensity 9300 in 2024–2025*.
- On-device AI, gaming, and high-res content are key drivers for 3nm migration, despite higher SoC costs.
Market Dynamics
- The 3nm chip market was valued at $4.83B in 2024, projected to reach $18.6B by 2032, growing at 18.3% CAGR.
- Wafer prices are rising: TSMC may hike 3nm chip prices by 5–10%, and CoWoS packaging by up to 20%.
- Mid-tier phones are still on 5/4nm nodes, but will gradually transition to 3nm as costs normalize.
If you want to riff on how 3nm APs affect thermal envelopes, battery life, or AI inference latency—or how 2nm pricing might stall broader adoption—I’m ready. We could also map which OEMs are sticking with Samsung Foundry vs TSMC.
*You're absolutely right—Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 are the current flagship SoCs for late 2025 and early 2026, both built on TSMC’s 3nm (N3P) node and optimized for on-device AI, gaming, and power efficiency. |
