Apple, Intel have reached preliminary chip-making deal
Apple and Intel have reportedly reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to manufacture Apple-designed chips, marking a potential shift away from Apple’s near-total reliance on TSMC. Commenters frame the move as both supply-chain diversification and a product of U.S. industrial policy, with the government actively steering business to Intel as a strategic national asset. Debate centers on whether Intel’s newer process nodes and packaging technologies can match TSMC’s performance and volume, and how much of Apple’s future chip portfolio—if any flagship SoCs—will actually migrate to Intel fabs.
Why Apple Left Intel and x86 Context
- Several comments stress Apple’s move to Apple Silicon was about x86 perf/watt and roadmap issues, not just “Intel bad.”
- Intel’s fab delays (especially 10nm) kept x86 stuck on older nodes while ARM/iPhone chips advanced, contributing to x86 falling behind.
- Apple wanted CPUs optimized for tight thermal envelopes and consistent mobile performance; Intel’s mobile and workstation chips often ran hot, needed loud cooling, and slipped schedules.
What the Deal Likely Is (and Isn’t)
- Consensus: this is Intel Foundry manufacturing Apple‑designed chips, not Apple going back to Intel x86 CPUs.
- Unclear which products are targeted; speculation ranges from support/low‑end chips (Watch, TV, entry iPads, low‑end Macs) to “main processors,” but no concrete detail.
- Many expect Apple to keep flagship iPhone SoCs on TSMC for the foreseeable future.
Government Role and Industrial Policy
- The thread highlights reporting that the U.S. government, now a major Intel shareholder, “played a major role” in bringing Apple to the table.
- Some view this as coercive or stock manipulation; others frame it as normal industrial policy to secure domestic chip capacity and supply‑chain resilience.
- Motivations mentioned include national security, military needs, and “digital sovereignty.”
Supply Chain, Capacity, and TSMC Dependence
- Strong agreement that Apple wants to diversify away from a single advanced-node supplier (TSMC), especially given geopolitical risk around Taiwan.
- TSMC advanced nodes are described as fully booked, with AI chips (Nvidia, AMD, Google, etc.) soaking up capacity and often offering higher margins than Apple’s devices.
- Some argue Apple can no longer assume it will get all the cutting‑edge wafers it wants, prompting a hedge with Intel (and possibly Samsung).
Intel’s Technical and Business Trajectory
- Several posts argue Intel is “back in the game” with nodes like 18A/14A and strong packaging/chiplet tech (Foveros, EMIB).
- Others counter that Intel’s 18A efficiency is still behind TSMC’s best 3nm variants, citing benchmark analyses and debating how to fairly compare processes (single‑thread vs multi‑thread metrics).
- Intel’s limited capacity and scaling challenges are seen as the main constraint, not just node competitiveness.
- There’s discussion of Intel’s stock surge and the idea that Intel was effectively “not allowed to fail” due to its strategic role.
Implications for Apple Products and Users
- Some hope this leads to more affordable Macs or expands mid‑range lines; others worry Intel‑fabbed Apple chips could be less efficient if Intel’s process lags TSMC.
- Consensus that this doesn’t resurrect classic Boot Camp: Apple firmware, ARM architecture, and Microsoft’s licensing stance remain blockers.
Reaction to the Article and Coverage
- Multiple commenters note the article is light on specifics, making firm conclusions about products or timelines “unclear.”
- Paywall/adblock friction is discussed, with workarounds like reader mode mentioned.