Apple has reportedly engaged in initial discussions with Intel and Samsung Electronics regarding potential partnerships for chip manufacturing in the United States, as per a recent Bloomberg News report. Sources familiar with the situation revealed that Apple is looking into diversifying the production of its primary processors, which currently heavily rely on overseas manufacturing. In pursuit of this goal, Apple executives have allegedly visited a Samsung semiconductor facility being developed in Texas and initiated preliminary conversations with Intel concerning its foundry services.
The discussions are said to be in the early stages, with no agreements or production orders solidified yet. If such a shift were to occur, it would signify a significant change in Apple’s supply chain strategy, which has traditionally relied on TSMC for advanced chip fabrication. Apple’s most recent iPhone models, including the iPhone 17 series, utilize variations of TSMC’s chip manufacturing technology, which is also widely employed in the production of sophisticated AI chips.
These reported discussions coincide with Apple grappling with supply constraints affecting its products. The company had previously acknowledged that shortages of advanced processor chips had impacted iPhone sales in a recent quarter.