According to The Wall Street Journal, the Cupertino company - who has relied almost exclusively on the chipmaker to fabricate its custom-designed chips like the iPhone A-series and Mac M-series silicons - is exploring other companies to produce some of its lower-end chips.
The outlet claimed mounting pressure on global processor supply - driven largely by the AI boom - is forcing Apple to rethink that dependence.
TSMC is now doing substantially more business with AI heavyweights such as Nvidia, intensifying competition for advanced manufacturing capacity.
Industry analysts have long speculated that Intel could re-enter Apple’s supply chain in a limited role.
GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu previously suggested Intel may begin fabricating chips for non-Pro iPhone models as early as 2028, potentially covering future A-series processors.
Separately, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said Intel could manufacture Apple’s lowest-end M-series chips for select Mac and iPad models from mid-2027, using Intel’s upcoming 18A process.
Crucially, any renewed relationship would stop well short of a full reunion.
Intel would supposedly act purely as a fabrication partner, not a chip designer - a sharp contrast to the Intel-powered Mac era that Apple definitively closed in 2020 with its move to Apple Silicon.
The motivation is as much strategic as it is technical, as with AI servers consuming vast quantities of advanced silicon, memory suppliers like Samsung and SK Hynix have reportedly gained enough leverage to push up prices, squeezing margins across the industry.
While Apple CEO Tim Cook recently downplayed the immediate impact of rising memory costs, he acknowledged they could weigh more heavily in the coming quarter, adding that Apple is “looking at a range of options” to respond.
Despite these supposed headwinds, Apple remains in a position of strength, as the company posted a record $143.8 billion in quarterly revenue and expects double-digit growth to continue.
Diversifying chip manufacturing - even modestly - could help Apple protect those margins, reduce supply-chain risk, and avoid being crowded out as AI demand reshapes the semiconductor landscape.
