According to the latest leaks and rumors in the supply chain, Apple may not be able to adopt the 3-nanometer process in its next-generation A-series chips for the iPhone 14, which is still the subject of ongoing rumors. Currently, the iPhone 13 series and its A15 Bionic chip are 5nm processes, so a jump to 3nm could have significantly improved performance and power efficiency.

However, a recent report from DigiTimes, based on supply chain sources, notes that Apple's chipmaker has a 4nm process node that will likely be used for the upcoming A Series chips, called A16.

Apple has used the 5nm node for the past three generations of iPhones. Therefore, it makes sense for Cupertino to move to a smaller node if it wants its phones to continue to outperform rivals such as Qualcomm and Samsung's Exynos.

But what about for iPhone 14 users? Sure, more transistors is great, but will it make a difference in the actual use of the iPhone? Here is how the 4nm chip will affect the iPhone 14.

As it stands, Apple's A15 Bionic chip outperforms almost all chips in rival flagship Android phones. This has long been the case for each generation of the A-series chips.

Wayne Lamb, senior director of analyst house CCS Insight, said that while it may be difficult to really get a clear picture of how well the A Series performs, it is because Apple, from the silicon level down to the software, has the devices He explained to us that this is due to the tight control they have over the device.

"For example, the iPhone has always required less DRAM memory with each comparative generation of design. If the latest Androids have 8 or 12 GB of RAM on Qualcomm chips, Apple's similar design requires only 4 or 6 GB. 'This design difference is so great that it favors Apple in terms of component costs (Apple can spend less on memory and more on processor manufacturing), which speaks to the efficiency of Apple's design versus Android's competition [chips]. [i.e., one could argue that moving to 4nm rather than sticking with 5nm would not make a significant difference in the iPhone's perceived speed.

Avi Greengart, president and principal analyst at consumer technology analyst firm Techsponential, points out that the gain from moving to 4nm fabrication is not pure power alone.

"Apple's silicon already leads the industry in performance per watt, but there is always room for efficiency gains that extend battery life, AI enhancements for computational photography and other machine learning tasks, dedicated co-processors for specific tasks, more graphics capabilities, and more. There is," Greengart told Tom's Guide.

Of course, improvements in battery life will always be appreciated; the iPhone 13 Pro has logged a whopping 11 hours and 42 minutes in our tests, but we are always eager to see more improvements in smartphone endurance.

But the potential for improvements in AI and computational photography is even more enticing: with the iPhone 13 Pro Max topping our list of best camera phones, Apple has already shown its prowess in image signal processing. Features like cinematic mode, which provides professional-grade rack focus in video and can automatically switch between subjects, are perfect examples of what AI can do.

However, the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, with Google's own AI-centric Tensor chip, deliver very impressive smartphone photos with features like the Magic Eraser, which will likely be further improved through software updates. Therefore, AI processing in the next generation iPhone, enhanced by the 4nm chip, could help Apple continue to deliver best-in-class photos.

AI improvements with the new 4nm chip could also make Siri, currently trailing Google Assistant and Alexa, a more capable virtual assistant. Improved on-board processing means better voice recognition and general smart features such as the ability to automatically customize a phone for a specific user.

With Apple's tight control over its developer ecosystem, we have no doubt that they will work to provide app makers with tools and development kits to take full advantage of next-generation performance and AI processing improvements. We would like to see them deliver games that genuinely look console-quality, not full-fledged enhanced AR features or impressive visual wows that fall apart upon closer inspection.

Thus, even if Apple does not make the jump to 3nm, achieving the 4nm process node could bring a series of benefits. However, the benefits may not be immediately apparent, especially for users who upgrade their iPhones every generation.

"Will this bring a dramatic change from today's A15 chip? It doesn't matter. People don't upgrade their phones every year," Greengart explained. But if you compare a phone that is three or four years old with one that uses the latest generation of silicon, the cumulative improvement is quite significant."

With that in mind, plus early rumors suggesting a new phone design and the possible return of Touch ID, the iPhone 14 could end up being a phone worth waiting for.