Intel and Apple Reportedly Reach Agreement for Chip Manufacturing

Intel and Apple Reportedly Reach Agreement for Chip Manufacturing Apple and Intel are edging back into partnership after years apart, in a move that could reshape both companies’ futures and the geography of advanced chipmaking.

From breakup to quiet talks

Apple’s break with Intel began earlier in the 2020s, when Macs shifted from Intel x86 processors to Apple’s own M‑series silicon manufactured by TSMC. That pivot was driven in part by Intel’s delays in adopting Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, which allowed TSMC to pull ahead with smaller, more efficient transistors.

By 2025, Intel was in turnaround mode. The company appointed Lip‑Bu Tan as CEO and secured a major boost when the US government converted a US$9 billion grant into an equity stake of about 10 percent, making Washington Intel’s largest shareholder. Commerce officials began actively “drum[ming] up business for Intel,” courting major tech firms including Apple.

A preliminary pact emerges

Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal later reported that Apple had held “exploratory discussions” with Intel and Samsung about producing Apple’s main device chips in the US, instead of relying solely on Taiwan-based TSMC. After roughly a year of talks, Intel and Apple reached a “preliminary agreement” for Intel to manufacture processors for Apple hardware, reuniting the companies after the Mac transition to Apple Silicon.

Supply-chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said Intel is “expected” to start shipping “Apple’s lowest-end M processor” as soon as 2027, suggesting a phased ramp focused initially on less demanding chips.

Competing visions and broader stakes

For Intel, securing Apple is described as a “landmark foundry pact” that would provide a steady demand stream and force the company to stay at the cutting edge to meet Apple’s strict performance and efficiency targets. Investor sentiment has already improved, with reports of a sharp rise in Intel’s share price following the news.

For Apple, the emerging multi‑foundry model is about diversifying risk in a geopolitically fragile supply chain while testing whether US-based production can match TSMC’s cost and technology leadership. The US government, now a major Intel shareholder, frames the deal as part of a broader push to strengthen domestic semiconductor manufacturing.

Other industry players are watching closely. Elon Musk recently praised an “awesome @Intel fab in Oregon” and looked forward to “a great partnership with @SpaceX & @Tesla,” hinting that Apple may not be the only mega-customer considering Intel’s revived foundry ambitions.

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