Apple reportedly strikes deal for Intel to make some of its chips

According to sources close to both Apple and Intel, the two companies have reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to manufacture some of Apple's chips. This development signals Apple's efforts to d... Read original →

Apple’s tentative shift to Intel isn’t just diversification—it’s a calculated move to rebalance bargaining power against TSMC. Technically, adopting Intel’s 18A for entry-level M-chips pressures TSMC to accelerate N3P yield ramp and could spur ASML to deploy more EUV tools in the U.S. From a compliance angle, this mitigates CHIPS Act scrutiny over overreliance on overseas foundries, though 18A lacks automotive or consumer-grade validation, raising volume risk. Strategically, TSMC may retaliate by prioritizing high-margin A/M chips, while NVIDIA’s x86 RTX SoC partnership with Intel aims to curb Apple’s GPU ambitions. Over the next 12–24 months, if Intel achieves stable yields, it could catalyze a U.S.-centric IDM 2.0 ecosystem—drawing Tesla to its 14A AI platform. If not, Apple will likely pivot toward Samsung’s 3GAP as leverage.