[perlgeek]

> But TSMC can delay 3nm until it has the clients.

My impression is that they invested huge sums of money into the 3nm lines; you don't want to delay getting returns on such investments.

Considering that capital has a cost, it might be cheaper for them to forego the 6% increase (at least for now) and start returning some of their loans, rather than letting the interest accumulate. (Which Apple knows, of course, which is why they play hardball).