New Delhi: Apple is now gearing up to reunite with Intel in 2027, but not in the way users might expect. According to some sources, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Intel will manufacture Apple’s entry-level M-series processors rather than design them, marking a dramatic shift from their previous relationship that ended in 2020. Intel could begin shipping Apple’s lowest-end M-series chip as early as the second or third quarter of 2027, using its advanced 18AP manufacturing process. These processors will power up the future for the MacBook Air, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models, with the projected shipments of 15-20 million units.
This partnership is going to help Apple demonstrate its commitment to buying American and align with the Trump administration’s Made in USA policy. This policy comes as Apple faces increasing pressure to localise production. More critically, the deal provides Apple with the second manufacturing source beyond Taiwan-based TSMC, which currently produces all of Apple’s silicon chips. This diversification reduces supply chain vulnerabilities while TSMC continues manufacturing higher-end M-series variants and iPhone processors.
For Intel, this represents a crucial turnaround signal, while the direct revenue may be modest, winning Apple’s advanced node orders carries significance far exceeding the financial condition, suggesting Intel’s foundry business may have turned a corner. The partnership could help Intel secure additional orders from other tier one customers for its 14A node and beyond, potentially transforming the company’s long-term outlook after years of market share losses to AMD and struggles in the AI chip sector. Unlike its previous arrangement, where Intel designed x86-based processors for Macs, this latest partnership involves Intel solely as the manufacturer for Apple’s ARM-based chip designs.
Apple has already signed a non-disclosure agreement with Intel and obtained preliminary development kits, with final specifications expected in early 2026. This collaboration marks an ironic twist: Intel, which once dominated Mac computing, returns not as a designer but as a manufacturing partner for the very chips that replaced its processors.
