Apple Eyes Intel and Samsung for US-Based Chip Production
*Apple is holding early talks with Intel and Samsung to manufacture its core device processors domestically, a step toward diversifying its supply chain away from Taiwan's TSMC.*
Apple has begun exploratory discussions with Intel and Samsung to produce the main processors for its devices inside the United States. These talks mark a potential shift for Apple, which has long depended on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. for its chip needs, and come amid growing pressures to onshore critical technology production.
For years, Apple has sourced its high-performance chips—powers of iPhones, iPads, and Macs—from TSMC's advanced foundries in Taiwan. That reliance exposed Apple to geopolitical risks, including tensions across the Taiwan Strait and disruptions from events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with US incentives for domestic manufacturing ramping up, Apple appears to be scouting alternatives.
The deliberations remain in early stages, according to people familiar with the matter. Apple has discussed enlisting Intel's chipmaking services, leveraging the US company's foundry ambitions as it pivots from designing its own processors to manufacturing for others. Intel has invested heavily in US facilities, including a major site in Arizona, positioning it as a viable partner for Apple.
Separately, Apple executives have visited a Samsung plant under construction in Texas. Samsung, a South Korean giant with a growing US footprint, is expanding its semiconductor operations there with federal support. These visits suggest Apple is evaluating Samsung's capacity to handle its demanding chip designs, which require cutting-edge nodes like 3nm or smaller.
No firm commitments have emerged from these talks. Apple declined to comment, as is standard for such preliminary outreach. Intel and Samsung also stayed silent, though industry watchers note that both firms have publicly courted Apple as a customer to fill their US production lines.
The sources describe these efforts as providing a "secondary option" to TSMC, not a full replacement. TSMC itself is building a $65 billion complex in Arizona, but delays and higher costs have slowed its US rollout. Apple's interest in Intel and Samsung could accelerate if TSMC's timeline slips further.
Bloomberg analyst Neil Campling, who covers the chip sector, highlighted the strategic angle in a recent video explanation. He pointed out that US-based production would shield Apple from export controls and trade wars, especially as China ramps up its own semiconductor push.
Why It Matters
This move signals Apple's pragmatic response to a fracturing global supply chain, where reliance on a single overseas partner like TSMC carries too much risk. For tech leaders building products on Apple silicon, it means potential stability in chip availability, but also higher costs that could trickle into device prices. Intel and Samsung stand to gain big if Apple commits, bolstering their US operations and validating the billions poured into domestic fabs. Yet the real winner here is US manufacturing policy: by drawing in Apple, it proves subsidies like the CHIPS Act are luring the world's richest tech firm to invest stateside. Apple isn't abandoning TSMC overnight, but these talks show it's hedging bets in a world where Taiwan's dominance can't be taken for granted.
If Apple seals a deal, expect the first US-made Apple chips by the end of the decade, reshaping how the industry views onshoring.
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