The technology industry never stops taking unexpected turns, and Apple has just starred in one of the most striking in recent years. The Cupertino company would be negotiating with Intel to use its chips again in its devicessomething that few would have imagined after the revolutionary transition to Apple Silicon that marked the beginning of a new generation for Macs.
It all started in 2020, when Apple announced that it would leave Intel’s x86 architecture behind to launch its own M-series processors. The decision was historic and applauded by the entire industry: Macs became faster, more efficient, and with battery life that put the competition to shame. Nobody expected that, just five years later, Intel’s name would appear again in Apple’s plans.
Apple and Intel closed a preliminary agreement that surprised the market
As reported The Wall Avenue Journal, Apple and Intel have reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to manufacture part of the chips used in Apple devices. The negotiations would have lasted more than a year, and the pact represents a strategic move of enormous weight for both Apple and the company that Lip-Bu Tan is trying to resurrect from its foundations.
What makes this agreement especially interesting is that it is not a complete return to the past. Intel would not return as a chip designer, but as a manufacturer. That is to say, Apple would maintain the creative attach an eye on its M series processorsbut Intel would be in charge of its production, at least in part. This is a twist that completely changes the “Apple vs. Intel” narrative that dominated the headlines years ago.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, with sources very close to Apple’s supply chain, had anticipated this move from the end of 2025, noting that Intel could begin manufacturing the entry-level M series chips in approximately 2027. The technology that Intel would use would be the 18A manufacturing processan advanced sub-2nm node produced entirely on US soil.
Intel’s role and why Apple is considering it
To understand why Apple would be looking at Intel, you have to look at the broader context. TSMC, the Taiwanese giant, has been practically the exclusive supplier of Apple’s next-generation chips for years. But relying on a single manufacturer located in a geopolitically intellectual region is a risk that Apple cannot ignore indefinitely.
Here Intel comes in with a card that few can play at this time: advanced chip manufacturing on US soil. In a context where geopolitical tensions and local manufacturing policies are more relevant than ever, Intel is positioned as a strategic alternative that Apple cannot easily ignore.
The deal would also represent a lifeline for Intel, whose foundry business has been struggling to gain traction in the market. CEO Lip-Bu Tan has bet big on turning Intel into a world-class chipmakerand getting Apple as a client would be the biggest accolade I could get. The collaboration would not mean the abandonment of TSMC – which would continue to manufacture the most advanced chips such as the M Pro, M Max and M Ultra – but rather that Intel would cover the lower-end models.
What devices could benefit from this change
According to the information available, the initial focus would be on devices with entry-level chips. The MacBook Air, iPad Air and iPad Pro would be the first candidates to incorporate M processors manufactured by Intel, possibly starting from the M6 or M7 models. These chips imply lower manufacturing complexities and lower costs, allowing Apple to delegate its production without putting its flagship products at risk.
For the final user, the experience would be practically identical. All chips would continue to be designed by Apple with ARM architectureguaranteeing the same performance and gadget compatibility, regardless of whether they are manufactured by Intel or TSMC. In other words, the gadget would not notice the difference and the macOS ecosystem would continue to function exactly the same.
What is clear is that Apple is not abandoning its philosophy of designing its own chips – one of the most brilliant decisions in its recent history – but is being pragmatic about who makes them. Supplier diversification is a sign of strategic maturitynot technological weakness. And if Apple has proven anything over the years, it is that it knows very well when to move before the rest of the industry sees it coming.
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