Apple Reportedly Turns Back To Intel For Future Chip Production
Apple and Intel may be back in business — but not in the old “Intel MacBook” way.
According to a Wall Street Journal report cited by Wccftech, Apple has reached a preliminary chip-making agreement with Intel. The key point: Intel would fabricate silicon for some Apple devices, while Apple would still design its own chips, likely based on Arm IP, similar to how its current partnership with TSMC works.
For now, the exact Apple products involved are still unknown. So don’t straight away assume the next iPhone or MacBook in Malaysia will suddenly carry an “Intel Inside” sticker. This is about manufacturing, not Apple going back to Intel CPUs.
Still, it is a big move because Apple has spent the last few years going all-in on its own custom silicon and relying heavily on TSMC to manufacture it. TSMC remains the world’s advanced chip king, but demand for leading-edge nodes is brutal right now — AI chips, phones, Macs, GPUs, servers, everyone wants capacity.
That matters to us in Malaysia and SEA more than it sounds. When chip supply gets tight, launches can be delayed, stock can be limited, and local pricing can become more painful. Anyone who has waited for specific MacBook, iPad, or iPhone configs here knows the sakit hati feeling when the model you want is either “coming soon” or priced like it came with gold-plated RAM.
Wccftech notes that Apple has been exploring more supply chain options, including talks with Samsung. Recent reports from GF Securities and DigiTimes also claimed Apple could use Intel’s 18A-P process for lower-end M-series chips expected in 2027, plus non-Pro iPhone chips in 2028. GF Securities further suggested Apple’s custom ASIC, possibly arriving around 2027 or 2028, may use Intel’s EMIB packaging.
Earlier reporting also claimed Apple had signed an NDA with Intel to evaluate PDK samples for the 18A-P process. Intel’s 18A-P is notable because it supports Foveros Direct 3D hybrid bonding, which enables multiple chiplets to be stacked through TSVs. In plain gamer-bro English: Intel wants to prove it can build advanced, dense, modern chip packages that serious customers like Apple can trust.
The timing is interesting. Apple recently said supply for Mac Studio and Mac mini would take months to catch up with demand, with agentic AI named as one factor driving interest. That tracks with the current market: creators, developers, AI hobbyists, and studios are suddenly buying compact high-performance machines for local AI workflows, video editing, coding, and content production.
For Malaysian users, this could eventually mean steadier Apple hardware availability if Apple successfully reduces its dependence on one main foundry. It could also help Apple manage risk if TSMC capacity stays packed. But we should keep expectations grounded: this is still described as a preliminary agreement, and product timelines mentioned in reports point more toward 2027 and 2028 than anything immediate.
There is also a funny full-circle angle here. Apple fully moved away from Intel-powered Macs after discontinuing the Intel Mac Pro in 2023. Now, after cutting off that old chapter, Apple may be returning to Intel — not for processors designed by Intel, but for Intel’s factories.
That distinction is important. Apple Silicon is not going away. If anything, this suggests Apple wants more control, more flexibility, and more bargaining power in a world where advanced chip capacity has become one of the most valuable resources in tech.
For SEA buyers, the main thing to watch is simple: if Apple diversifies manufacturing properly, future iPhones and Macs may be less exposed to bottlenecks. If Intel cannot execute, then this remains just another backup plan on paper. Either way, the chip war is no longer some boring backend story — it affects what lands on shelves in Malaysia, when it arrives, and how painful the RM price tag gets.
Source: Wccftech Gaming
