Apple in Early Talks with Intel, Samsung to Secure US Chip Production
NVDA•Apple has held early-stage talks with Intel and toured Samsung’s Texas fabrication plant to explore US production of its main device processors beyond TSMC. Supply constraints at TSMC, driven by AI data center demand at the 3-nanometer node, are prompting Apple to seek alternative foundry partnerships.
1. Apple Holds Preliminary Talks with Intel and Samsung
Apple executives have initiated exploratory discussions with Intel’s foundry division and visited Samsung’s under-construction Texas plant as potential back-up suppliers for its A-series and M-series processors.
2. AI-Driven Demand Strains TSMC Capacity
A surge in orders for AI data center chips has tightened TSMC’s 3-nanometer node availability, constraining Apple’s usual manufacturing flexibility and delaying device production.
3. Diversification to Mitigate Single-Source Risk
Concerns over geopolitical and supply-chain disruptions have led Apple to seek a secondary foundry partner, though no binding orders have been placed to date.
4. Potential Impact on Advanced Chipmakers
Should Apple shift even a portion of its volumes to Intel or Samsung, it could reshape contract-foundry economics and influence capacity allocations for AI-focused companies like Nvidia.
