Residents in the Longtan rural area of Taiwan have successfully protested against the construction of a new factory for 1nm chips by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Apple’s main chipmaker. The planned factory would have required locals to relocate, prompting objections from the community. As a result, TSMC has agreed to seek an alternative location for the factory.

TSMC, known for producing the 3nm A17 Pro chip for the iPhone 15 Pro duo, will likely receive assistance from the Taiwanese government in finding a suitable site. The construction of a cutting-edge tech factory requires specific land, water, and power resources, which the government can facilitate. The semiconductor industry holds significant importance in Taiwan, making government support likely.

Chen Chi-Mai, the mayor of Kaohsiung in the south, has already expressed interest in hosting TSMC and its new factory. He stated that Kaohsiung has abundant water, power, and land resources, making it an ideal location for semiconductor factories. TSMC is currently in the process of building a 2-nanometre chip factory in Kaohsiung.

In related news, there have been rumors regarding Apple’s future iPhone models. An analyst claims that next year, all four new iPhone 16 models will be equipped with the same A18 Pro chip. This potential move would mark a significant departure from Apple’s usual strategy of reserving cutting-edge chip technology for its Pro models. Last year, with the iPhone 14 series, the company introduced different chips for Pro and non-Pro variants.