Apple talks Intel and Samsung chips

Apple’s chips are suddenly a foundry story again. Not because Apple wants to go back to Intel-designed Macs — that part is long over — but because Apple is testing who actually manufactures the silicon inside future iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The new wrinkle is that Apple has held exploratory talks with Intel and has also looked at Samsung’s U.S. fabs as possible backup or secondary manufacturing options for its main device processors. That matters because TSMC has basically had a solo run on Apple’s most important chips for years. (money.usnews.com) ### What changed this week? The immediate news is simple: Apple is discussing possible U.S. chip production with Intel and Samsung. Bloomberg’s reporting, echoed by Reuters and others on May 4 and May 5, says Apple executives visited a Samsung plant under development in Texas and separately held early talks with Intel’s foundry arm. No production deal has been signed. This is still evaluation, not commitment. (money.usnews.com) ### Why is TSMC the reference point? Because TSMC is still the company that makes Apple’s leading-edge chips at scale. Apple has already committed major U.S. business to TSMC’s Arizona operation and said in February 2025 that it would produce advanced si(money.usnews.com)cing “no U.S. source” with one — it already has one. (apple.com) ### So why talk to Intel and Samsung too? Basically — concentration risk. If one company makes nearly all of your best chips, every geopolitical shock, factory delay, packaging bottleneck, or yield problem lands directly on your product roadmap. A second source does not need to replace TSMC to mat(apple.com)age with suppliers and goodwill with Washington. That last part is inference, but it fits the fact pattern. (bloomberg.com) ### Why is Intel even in this conversation? Because Intel is trying to become a serious contract manufacturer for outside chip designers, not just a company that makes its own CPUs. Its pitch is technical and political at the same time: advanced process nodes, U.S. capacity, and a fou(bloomberg.com)kside power delivery meant to improve density and efficiency. (intel.com) ### And what does Samsung bring? Samsung brings another advanced manufacturer with U.S. expansion underway. Its Taylor, Texas fab represents at least a $17 billion investment, and Apple has already signaled broader interest in building more of its supply chain in America. Samsung also has a long relationship with Apple as a component supplier, even when(intel.com)hedge, even if yields, timing, and process readiness are the real questions. (semiconductor.samsung.com) ### Is Apple moving away from TSMC? Probably not in the dramatic sense people hear in that phrase. This looks more like portfolio management than divorce. TSMC remains the proven volume leader for Apple-class mobile chips. The fact that Apple is still buying U.S.-made chips from TSMC while opening conversations with Intel and Samsung suggests a layered strategy — keep the incumbent, add options, avoid dependence. (apple.com) ### What’s the real catch? Making a great chip design is not the same as manufacturing it flawlessly on a new process at Apple’s scale. The hard part is yield, packaging, power, thermals, and hitting launch windows for hundreds of millions of devices. A foundry can look good on a roadmap slide and still miss where Apple cares most — predictable mass production. That is why “exploratory talks” is the key phrase here. (money.usnews.com) ### Bottom line? Apple is not rewriting its chip strategy overnight. But it is testing how many doors it can keep open. If Intel or Samsung can become credible second sources for advanced Apple silicon in the U.S., the balance of power in chip manufacturing gets a lot more interesting.