Apple Eyes Intel and Samsung as Backup US Chipmakers

Source: MacRumors

Apple has held “exploratory” talks with Intel and Samsung about manufacturing the main processors for its devices in the United States, reports Bloomberg ($).

Apple is said to have had early‑stage talks with Intel about using its chip‑making services, while Apple executives have reportedly visited a Samsung plant under construction in Texas that will also make advanced chips.

The talks are preliminary, and no orders have been made so far, according to sources who asked not to be identified. Apple also has concerns about using technology that is not made by its longtime chip partner, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), so the talks could still go nowhere.

Apple is seeking potential additional suppliers beyond TSMC as a way to avoid recent shortages almost entirely driven by the current build‑out of AI data centers. Heavy demand for Mac mini and Mac Studio models—sought after because of their suitability for running local AI models—is also cited as a factor. On an earnings call last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that Mac mini and Mac Studio supply is constrained, saying it may take “several months” for Apple to achieve a supply‑demand balance.

Neither Intel nor Samsung can reliably provide the kind of production scale that TSMC offers, so it’s unclear how much, if anything, will come out of the discussions. Apple has already worked with TSMC to help expand its plant in Phoenix, which is now producing a limited number of chips for Apple and expects to make 100 million chips for the company in 2026.