Apple has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Intel, but the company shifted to using its own silicon for MacBooks and has relied exclusively on TSMC since 2014, starting with the Apple A8 chip. Now, Apple is seeking to reestablish ties with Intel.
Reports indicate that Apple has been looking to reduce its reliance on TSMC for some time, but supply chain disruptions and the ongoing chip shortage, exacerbated by the demands of AI data centers, have made diversification more pressing. In a recent earnings call, Apple acknowledged that its dependence on TSMC alone could pose challenges in the future.
In light of this, Apple is in the early stages of negotiations with Intel and Samsung. Key Apple executives have already visited Samsung's Texas factory, which is set to begin producing advanced chips soon.
This shift in strategy follows Apple's recent reorganization that merged its hardware engineering and hardware technologies teams, now led by Chief Hardware Officer Johny Srouji.
The main challenge for Apple is to identify a chip manufacturer capable of delivering chips at scale consistently. So far, only TSMC has met Apple's stringent requirements, meaning Intel and Samsung will need to enhance their capabilities to secure essential orders from Apple.
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