There is also the fact that we currently have an iPhone generation where only the Pro models got updated to chips on TSMC 3nm.
The next iPhone generation is said to be a return to form with all models using the same SOC on the revised version of the 3nm node.
> Code from the operating system also indicates that the entire iPhone 16 range will use a new system-on-chip – t8140 – Tahiti, which is what Apple calls the A18 chip internally. The A18 chip is referenced in relation to the base model iPhone 16 and 16 Plus (known collectively as D4y within Apple) as well as the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max (referred to as D9x internally)
For instance, Apple supposedly required a deal where they only paid TSMC for usable chips per N3 wafer, and not for the entire wafer.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/report-apple-is-savi...