Apple tests Intel for chip production

Apple and Intel are back in business with each other — at least in reported trial form. A May 14 report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Intel has started small-scale testing of lower-end or legacy Apple-designed chips for the iPhone, iPad and Mac, using Intel’s 18A process. Reuters had reported on May 8, citing the Wall Street Journal, that Apple and Intel reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to make some chips for Apple devices. The reported move would be notable because Apple has relied on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. for its most advanced chips since 2016, according to MacRumors’ summary of Kuo’s note. Apple said in February that it is making a multibillion-dollar commitment to produce advanced silicon at TSMC’s Fab 21 site in Arizona, where Apple is the largest customer. Neither Apple nor Intel has publicly confirmed the reported Intel trial or named any chip involved. (macrumors.com) ### Where did this report come from? Ming-Chi Kuo said on May 14 that Intel had “kicked off” small-scale testing for lower-end or legacy Apple processors, with production expected to ramp through 2027 and 2028, according to reports that summarized his post. Reuters separately reported on May 8 that the companies had reached a preliminary manufacturing agreement after more than a year of talks, citing the Wall Street Journal. (macrumors.com) MacRumors, 9to5Mac and other outlets said Kuo did not identify the exact A-series or M-series chips in the test. Those reports said the work is tied to Intel’s 18A family of process technology. ### What exactly is Apple said to be testing? The reported test centers on lower-end or older-generation Apple silicon, not Apple’s most advanced flagship chips. (macrumors.com) Several reports that cited Kuo said the initial run covers iPhone, iPad and Mac processors, with iPhone-related volume making up roughly 80% of the mix. That product mix matters because it suggests Apple is not shifting its newest premium silicon away from TSMC at this stage. 9to5Mac and Digital Trends both described the reported Intel work as focused on older, lower-end or legacy chips, while TSMC remains the producer for Apple’s most advanced silicon. (macrumors.com) ### Why Intel’s 18A process is central to the story? (macrumors.com) Intel says its 18A process is now ready for customer projects. On its foundry site, Intel describes 18A as a leading-edge node that uses RibbonFET gate-all-around transistors and PowerVia backside power delivery, and says it offers up to 15% better performance per watt and up to 30% better chip density than Intel 3. (9to5mac.com) Those details matter because Apple is a foundry customer here, not a buyer of Intel-designed processors. The reported arrangement would have Intel manufacture chips designed by Apple, similar to the role TSMC plays today. Reuters described the May 8 agreement as a potential boost for Intel’s contract manufacturing business. (intel.com) ### Is Apple replacing TSMC? Apple is not reported to be replacing TSMC. Apple’s February announcement said it plans to spend more than $500 billion in the United States over four years and included a multibillion-dollar commitment to make advanced silicon at TSMC’s Arizona Fab 21. (money.usnews.com) TSMC still appears to be Apple’s main supplier for leading-edge chips, based on the reports now in circulation. The Intel work described by Kuo and follow-on coverage is framed as testing and early production of lower-end or legacy parts, not a broad handover of Apple’s top-tier chip roadmap. ### What would confirm that this is real? (apple.com) Apple and Intel would need to confirm the relationship, the process node and the product scope for the report to move beyond supply-chain and analyst reporting. Neither company has publicly done that as of May 17, 2026, based on the sources reviewed here. (macrumors.com) The next hard evidence would likely come from a company statement, an earnings call, a foundry customer disclosure, or shipping timelines tied to 2027 production. Kuo’s reported timeline points to a ramp in 2027 and 2028, while Intel’s site says 18A is already open for customer projects. (macrumors.com) (money.usnews.com)