https://www.cnet.com/news/next-gen-apple-iphone-chips-reportedly-already-in-production/

Apple manufacturing partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing has begun producing what is expected to be called the A12 chip, sources tell Bloomberg. The chip's 7-nanometer design is said to make it faster and more efficient than the 10-nanometer chips found in current Apple devices.

The chip could help Apple's devices run apps faster and operate longer between charges -- giving the iPhone maker an advantage in a competitive market that has experienced stagnant demand for new handsets. A lack of new hardware design innovation, along with longer replacement rates and diminishing carrier subsidies, have been blamed for the cooling.