Apple has reportedly contacted Samsung and Intel about building “core device chips” in an effort to reduce its reliance on TSMC, Bloomberg reported. The iPhone maker has reportedly held preliminary discussions with Intel and recently visited a Samsung chip factory currently under development in Texas. No orders have been placed so far and negotiations with the two suppliers are still preliminary, according to sources familiar with the matter.
For the past decade, Apple has relied primarily on TSMC to build the processors (systems on chips, or SoCs) that power its iPhones, iPads, and, more recently, Macs. However, Apple would not be comfortable with the idea of having a single supplier for any component. Former CEO Tim Cook specifically addressed this issue last week during Apple’s earnings conference call, saying that “we have less flexibility in the supply chain than we normally would.” The problem has been compounded by a shortage of chips, with manufacturing resources diverted to AI products.
Apple has previously expressed concerns about supply disruptions if China invades Taiwan. TSMC now makes some of Apple’s chips at its Phoenix, Arizona, factory, and Apple has said 100 million of its SoCs will be built in the United States in 2026. That would only cover a small percentage of its devices, however, since the company alone shipped 247.4 million iPhones in 2025. The rest of its SoCs are made in Taiwan.
Apple would use TSMC’s 2nm (N2) process in the A20 and A20 Pro processors exclusively for the iPhone 18 lineup. Any chips built by other manufacturers would therefore be for products coming in 2027 or later. The report does not specify which Apple devices could receive chips made by Intel or Samsung. However, “Apple has concerns about using non-TSMC technologies and may not move forward with another partner,” according to Bloomberg.
Currently, both Intel and Samsung are lagging behind TSMC when it comes to processor technology. Apple is reportedly considering the upcoming Intel 14A (1.4nm class) process technology for 2028 non-Pro iPhones to help it diversify its supply chain. Gaining Apple as a customer would be huge for Intel, which has struggled to revive its fortunes under CEO Lip-Bu Tan. Last year, the Trump administration took an $8.9 billion stake in Intel.
Samsung, for its part, recently claimed to be the first to offer a 2nm mobile chip (the Exynos 2600), ahead of Intel and TSMC. However, Samsung and Intel have struggled over the past decade to move to smaller, more efficient chip designs, battling problems such as overheating and low chip efficiency.