Apple in talks With Intel and Samsung to make chips for iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Apple has held exploratory discussions with Intel and Samsung about manufacturing the processors that power its iPhones, iPads, and Macs, Bloomberg has reported. The talks are still preliminary, no orders have been placed, and Apple itself has reservations about moving away from longtime partner TSMC—but the fact that these conversations are happening at all signals growing anxiety inside the company about its chip supply situation.

Apple executives have already visited a Samsung fabrication plant currently under construction in Taylor, Texas. Separately, the company has held early-stage talks with Intel about using its chipmaking services. Both efforts are described as exploratory.

Why Apple is looking beyond TSMC

The immediate pressure is supply. Apple has been unable to produce enough of its advanced chips to meet demand—a shortage driven largely by the AI boom, which has funneled semiconductor manufacturing capacity toward data center chips. On a recent earnings call, then-CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that Mac mini and Mac Studio supply was constrained, adding it could take "several months" to rebalance supply and demand.

Apple's chips for the iPhone 18 lineup—the A20 and A20 Pro—are expected to be made exclusively on TSMC's 2nm process. Any chips manufactured by Intel or Samsung would therefore be for devices launching in 2027 or later. One scenario Bloomberg floated: Intel's upcoming 14A (1.4nm-class) process could be used for non-Pro iPhones in 2028.

Intel and Samsung are still playing catch-up on chip technology

Neither Intel nor Samsung is currently in a position to match TSMC's scale or technological edge. Both have struggled for years with yield issues and process delays. Winning Apple as a foundry customer would be a significant turn of fortune for Intel especially, which is still rebuilding under CEO Lip-Bu Tan after years of setbacks.

Apple, for its part, remains cautious. Bloomberg notes the company has concerns about using non-TSMC technology and may not move forward with either company at all.