Apple ditched Intel years ago. The M-series chips came along, Apple waved goodbye to x86, and that seemed like the end of that relationship. Turns out it wasn’t.
Intel is apparently getting back into Apple’s supply chain – just not the way it used to be. This time, Intel won’t be designing anything. Apple handles all the chip design in-house now and isn’t giving that up. What Apple needs is another company that can actually manufacture the things.
Why Apple Wants a Second Chip Supplier
Right now, TSMC makes basically everything for Apple. All the iPhone chips, all the M-series silicon, everything. That’s a concentration risk Apple clearly wants to reduce.
What the Analysts Are Saying
GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu is reporting that a deal between Intel and Apple could happen for some non-Pro iPhone A-series chips, with production starting in 2028. Intel wouldn’t be taking over – TSMC stays as the primary supplier. Intel gets a small slice of the orders, at least at first.
Separate from that, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said last month that Intel might start producing Apple’s entry-level M-series chips for Macs and iPads by mid-2027. Those would use Intel’s 18A process – supposedly the first sub-2nm manufacturing node available in North America.
Two different product lines, two different timelines. But the direction is clear: Apple wants options beyond TSMC, and Intel needs the business.
