Apple Mac and iPad Pro A14X chips to enter mass production in Q4 2020

The A14X will enter mass production in Q4 2020, according to a report from DigiTimes. Brought to our attention by MacRumors, the chips will be fabricated using TSMC's 5 nm EUV process. Industry sources peg monthly output at 5,000-6,000 wafers, although it is unclear whether this will be scaled up over time.

According to MacRumors, Apple has codenamed the A14X 'Tonga'. The processor is believed to have 12 cores split between eight high-performance cores and four energy-efficient ones. It has long been thought that Apple will use the A14X in the next iPad Pros and in its first ARM-based MacBooks. 

However, A14X may be just a working name for the processor. There have been reports that Apple plans to launch the chip destined for ARM MacBooks under a different name from the one that it uses for iPad Pro processors, possibly to prevent brand contamination. Apparently, Apple already has a second-generation of ARM-based Mac processors in development too, which will go beyond the 12 cores that the A14X will reputedly offer.