Intel is reportedly making chips for Apple again in a preliminary deal that reunites two old partners

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple and Intel have reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to manufacture some chips for Apple devices. According to the Journal, talks between the two companies have been ongoing for more than a year, with discussions intensifying in recent months. The current scale of the agreement remains unknown, with no details on which Apple products or chip families would be involved, nor whether production would use Intel's existing 18A process or a future node like 14A.

This follows Bloomberg's recent report that Apple held exploratory discussions with both Intel and Samsung about having them manufacture Apple processor chips in the US. The Journal adds that over the last 12 months, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has repeatedly met with Apple leadership, including outgoing CEO Tim Cook, to revive the relationship with Intel.

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Apple currently relies solely on TSMC for its most advanced chips, but supply chain realities are pushing the iPhone maker to look beyond its long-time manufacturing partner. During a recent earnings call, outgoing CEO Tim Cook explicitly cited a lack of advanced chips as a reason for Apple's inability to meet iPhone demand, with the Mac lineup also feeling the impact.

For Apple, this would mark the end of one era and the reunion of another. Before Apple Silicon arrived in 2020, Intel was one of Apple's most important partners. The MacBook line saw its first renaissance after Steve Jobs announced Intel-equipped laptops in 2006. By 2019, prior to the transition to Apple Silicon, Apple had acquired the majority of Intel's modem division for $1 billion, bringing 2,200 Intel employees, along with IP and equipment, to Apple.

Then in 2020, Intel was entirely out of Apple's long-term vision as the company went all in on its own silicon. For years after, Intel's foundry business struggled with delays and yield issues, raising doubts about its manufacturing capabilities for other companies.

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But the company has since had a significant shift in management, with analyst Ben Bajarin stating, "They've got through the rough patch and can now be considered validated as a credible second source." Last year, Apple was reportedly considering Intel's 18A process for its entry-level M-series chips.

Last month, Elon Musk said he plans to rely on Intel's future 14A node for his $119 billion Terafab in Austin, Texas, which is intended to produce chips for Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI. Intel has also received a $5 billion investment from NVIDIA, with the two partnering to develop an x86 RTX SoC for PCs to be unveiled at GTC 2026.

That being said, if the deal comes to fruition, it would be the most notable vote of confidence yet for Intel's once-struggling foundry business. As for TSMC, Bajarin believes an Apple-Intel deal won't have much impact, since TSMC is "already printing wafers as fast as they can."