Apple may be preparing a rare detour from its long dependence on TSMC. According to Donald Trump, Apple has agreed to work with Intel on developing and manufacturing its chips in the United States, a claim that, if anything comes of it, would give Intel a badly needed win and Apple a second source of silicon.
That is the headline. The fine print is more cautious: neither Apple nor Intel has confirmed any deal, and the reported plans still sound like talks, tests, and political theater all mixed together. Even so, the idea is credible enough to make the industry sit up, because Apple has spent years optimizing around one manufacturing partner while rivals have been pushed to think harder about supply-chain resilience.
Intel 18A-P and Apple’s next chips
Reports suggest Apple is weighing Intel’s 18A-P process for part of its future M-series chips, which could arrive in 2027. There is also talk of some A22 iPhone chips being made on Intel’s lines, plus Intel’s EMIB packaging technology finding a role in Apple’s future AI-focused chips.
- Possible use of Intel 18A-P for some future M chips
- Discussion of A22 variants for iPhone production
- Intel EMIB packaging could be used in Apple’s AI chips
That would not mean Apple is dumping TSMC. Far from it. It would mean Apple is doing what a nervous giant does when supply chains get too concentrated: add another factory, keep leverage, and reduce the risk of putting too many eggs in one foundry basket.
Why Intel stands to gain
For Intel, even a partial role in Apple’s production plans would be a validation it has been chasing for years. The company has been trying to reinvent itself as a contract manufacturer, and winning Apple work would be the kind of logo that changes conference calls, investor mood, and probably a few internal org charts.
The political backdrop is impossible to ignore. Trump framed the supposed cooperation as part of a push to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S., alongside claims about Nvidia and Elon Musk’s ”TerraFab.” Strip away the bravado, and the core idea is simple: Washington wants more advanced chipmaking at home, and Intel is one of the few American names with the scale to matter.
What happens if Apple really moves some production
If Apple does split any production with Intel, the biggest shift will not be a dramatic product change. It will be strategic. Apple would gain flexibility, Intel would gain credibility, and TSMC would lose a little of the gravitational pull it has had over the world’s most important chip customer.
For now, though, this is still a rumor with unusually loud echoes. The real question is whether Apple wants a genuine second source for its most important chips, or whether this is just another round of Washington-friendly noise that sounds bigger on social media than it does in a fab.