Intel could soon make Apple’s chips. Image credit: Intel
Apple has reportedly reached a preliminary agreement under which Intel will become a chip manufacturing partner, helping reduce the company’s reliance on TSMC for Mac chips and more.
Reports had previously suggested that the two companies were discussing a deal that would help Apple diversify its supply chain. Today, the two companies are closer than ever to manufacturing some Apple chips in the United States.
According to a report Wall Street Journal As of Friday, the two companies have been discussing the project for more than a year. However, significant progress has been made in recent months.
However, it is not yet clear for which devices Apple Intel will produce chips. A late 2025 report suggested that Apple intended for Intel to produce M-series chips aimed at the Mac and iPad lines.
Trump intervenes
THE WSJ The report notes that Apple’s decision to use Intel comes after President Trump personally advocated for the move. Trump has pushed for Apple’s component manufacturing to be based more in the United States, and the company has pledged to spend $400 million to make it happen.
The US government had already signed a deal to acquire a 10% stake in Intel for $9 billion. Since then, companies have wanted to use Intel as much as possible.
Apple joins Nvidia in giving new contracts to Intel. Nvidia invested $5 billion in Intel in September 2025, with the latter building custom processors for data centers.
Apple currently relies heavily on TSMC to produce the chips for its iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and more. However, Apple’s manufacturing capacity and dependence on a single chipmaker have posed problems recently.
Apple was caught off guard by the popularity of the MacBook Neo. A recent boom in the popularity of the Mac mini and Mac Studio has also made these two products increasingly difficult to buy.
As demand for high-performance chips continues to grow, deals like the one Apple appears to be signing with Intel are becoming increasingly important. As the AI boom requires more silicon than ever, it’s surely better to have two companies producing your chips than just one.
Even before Trump’s push to bring manufacturing to the United States, Apple was aware of the need to divest itself of its supply chain. As early as the COVID pandemic, Apple found that it was too dependent on Chinese factories.
Since then, Apple has shifted more and more production to other countries, reducing its dependence on China. So far, India and Vietnam have benefited, with the United States following suit.