Apple supplier TSMC delays Arizona chip production to 2025 – Engadget
TSMC won’t be making chips in Arizona on schedule. The Taiwan firm has delayed the start of 4-nanometer chip production at its first Phoenix, Arizona factory from 2024 to 2025. There aren’t enough skilled workers available to complete construction on time, according to Chairman Mark Liu. The company is considering loaning technicians from its home country to help complete the project.
The Arizona facility is a highlight of the CHIPS and Science Act President Biden signed into law last year. The measure is meant to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing, and includes $52.7 billion in funding and tax credits for companies building factories stateside. TSMC seeks $15 billion in tax credits for its two Arizona plants, although it anticipates investing a total $40 billion in the state.
The federal government isn’t immediately concerned about the worker shortfall. In a statement, White House representative Olivia Dalton says provisions in the CHIPS and Science Act will get the “workforce we need.”
The delay still poses problems for tech companies dependent on TSMC’s manufacturing, most notably Apple. Future iPhones and Macs will use 4nm and 3nm chips made at the Phoenix plants. If the delay holds, Apple may have to either stall product launches or lean on alternative manufacturers. Intel is pouring $20 billion into two Arizona facilities due to start chip production in 2024, but those won’t necessarily be available for Apple’s needs.
The delay illustrates one of the key challenges of bringing more tech manufacturing to the US. While there’s no shortage of money or desire, fewer workers are trained for the jobs as there are in Taiwan and other major production hubs. Apple contractor Foxconn may have an easy time finding factory workers in China, for example but they’re not nearly as common in the US. Plants like the Mac Pro factory in Austin tend to focus on niche products that don’t require large numbers of employees.
There’s nonetheless pressure to get the TSMC factories up and running. Moves like this are not only expected to boost the US economy, but to diversify manufacturing away from China. The effort could address issues with labor conditions and limit problems if US-China relations deteriorate. They won’t solve every issue (many components and raw materials also come from China), but they may reduce the fallout from political drama.
T-Mobile will acquire most of US Cellular in a $4.4 billion deal. The company hopes to use the acquisition to provide better coverage in rural areas.
Microsoft has confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available on Game Pass on its release day later this year. More details about the game will be revealed on June 9.
A new deal has dropped the 10th-gen Apple iPad down to $300, which is the lowest price we've seen for the entry-level tablet.
Sony has revealed that PS VR2 games will soon be available through a PlayStation Plus plan for the first time. The company also revealed that the major Days of Play sale will start on May 29.
A play on the Japanese mimetic word for “squishy” (punipuni), Punirunes has a design quirk that sets it apart from other gadgets of its ilk: a doughy button at the center of the device that serves to simulate physical contact with your pet.
Google has a host of new AI-powered features coming to its Chromebook Plus models.
Google announced a host of new AI features for Chromebooks, and Acer, ASUS and HP have new models to showcase them.
Opera ha teamed up with Google to integrate its Gemini AI models into its Aria AI browser assistant.
The biggest news stories this morning: The Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D remake is coming to Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC, Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max is $250 off, Are breadmakers better than making bread by hand?
Here's a list of the best microSD cards you can buy, as chosen by Engadget editors.
Here's a list of the best wireless headphones you can buy right now, as reviewed by Engadget editors.
After three years of largely staying silent about the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D remake, Square Enix has revealed the platforms it's coming to. The publisher also suggested that the remake is coming soon.
Every cheap streaming stick kind of sucks. I’ve been thinking about this since buying Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max a couple of months ago. But I'm not using it to stream TV and movies, like most people do. Instead, I’m using it to emulate old video games, which is forever the easiest path to my heart.
Amazon and B&H are running sales on Apple's 2023 MacBook Pro M3 Max.
We're living in a golden age of puzzle games, and there's something for just about everyone. Animal Well, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and Paper Trail are among the recent standouts.
Should you buy a breadmaker? Or is the old-fashioned way of making loaves by hand still the gold standard?
The biggest news stories this morning: ICQ is shutting down on June 26, Doctor Who: 73 Yards review, The best Memorial Day sale tech deals we could find.
These are the best Memorial Day tech deals we could find for 2024, including discounts on headphones, tablets, TVs and more.
We tested ereaders from Kobo, Amazon, Boox and more to see which one is the best overall, along with a budget pick and the best one with page-turn buttons.
Pikmin Bloom was released for Android and iOS in 2021 by Pokémon Go developer Niantic as another “go outside and touch grass” app, and I’ve been playing it pretty regularly since then.
Subscribe to our two newsletters:
– A weekly roundup of our favorite tech deals
– A daily dose of the news you need
Please enter a valid email address
Please select a newsletter
By subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy.
