MacRumors reported that Intel has started small-scale testing of fabrication for some iPhone, iPad, and Mac chips, with production expected to scale through 2027 and 2028. Ming-Chi Kuo says Intel’s handling the lower-end stuff using its 18A process, but TSMC will still make over 90% of Apple’s silicon. This isn’t Intel designing anything—just stamping out what Apple’s already designed, which is a very different relationship than the old Intel Mac days.
The move makes sense as pure supply chain strategy. Apple’s been all-in on TSMC since the A10 in 2016, which has worked great until you remember that TSMC is a single point of failure in Taiwan. Earthquakes happen. Geopolitical tensions exist. Having a second fab partner, especially one in the U.S., gives Apple negotiating leverage and a fallback if things go sideways. Intel gets a major customer for its struggling foundry business, which has been desperately trying to compete with TSMC and Samsung. It’s symbiotic in the most transactional way possible.
The political angle is obvious. The Trump administration has been loud about onshoring manufacturing, and Apple moving even 10% of chip production to Intel’s U.S. fabs is the kind of headline that plays well in Washington. It’s also the kind of move that could smooth regulatory paths or earn goodwill when Apple needs it. Whether Intel can actually deliver at the quality and scale TSMC does remains the actual question here—their foundry track record isn’t exactly confidence-inspiring, and Apple’s performance standards are brutal.
Kuo didn’t specify which chips Intel would make, but “lower-end” probably means older-generation A-series chips for budget iPhones or iPads, maybe base-model M-series variants. Apple’s not going to risk its flagship A18 Pro or M4 Max on an unproven Intel process. They’ll test the waters with volume chips where a few percentage points of yield loss won’t crater margins or product launches. If Intel screws it up, the damage is contained. If they don’t, Apple’s got options.
This isn’t a romantic reunion—it’s Apple buying insurance and Intel desperately needing the business to prove their foundry pivot wasn’t a disaster.
Reporting reference: MacRumors ↗