The technology industry doesn't stop taking unexpected turns, and Apple has just starred in one of the most striking in recent years. The Cupertino company would be negotiating with Intel to to use its chips in its devices, something that few would have imagined after the revolutionary transition towards Apple Silicon that marked the beginning of a new era for Macs.

It all started in 2020, when Apple announced that it would leave Intel's x86 architecture behind to launch its own M-series processors. The decision was historic and applauded by the entire industry: They came faster, more efficient, and with battery life that put the competition to shame. No one expected that, just five years later, the Intel name would appear again in Apple's plans.

Apple and Intel closed a preliminary agreement that surprised the market

According to reported The Wall Street Journal, Apple and Intel have reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to manufacture part of the chips used in the app's devices. The deals actions would have lasted more than a year, and the pact represents a strategic movement of enormous weight both for Apple and for the company that Lip-Bu Tan tries to resurrect from its foundations. 

What makes this agreement especially interesting is that it is not a total return to the past. Intel would not return as a chip designer, but rather as a manufacturer. That is, Apple would maintain creat control. ive of its M-series processors, but Intel would be in charge of its production, at least in part. This is a twist that completely changes the “Apple vs. Intel” narrative that dominated the headlines years ago.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, with sources very close to Apple's supply chain, had anticipated this move since late 2025, noting that Intel could begin manufacturing chips ps of the entry-level M-series approximately in 2027. The technology that Intel would use would be the 18A manufacturing process, an advanced sub-2nm node produced entirely on US soil. 

Intel's role and why Apple is considering it

To understand why Apple would be looking at Intel, we must analyze the broader context. TSMC, the Taiwanese giant, has been virtually*the exclusive supplier latest generation from Apple for years. But depending on a single manufacturer located in a geopolitically sensitive region is a risk that Apple cannot ignore indefinitely. 

Here enters Intel with a card that few can play at this moment: advanced chip manufacturing on U.S. soil. In a context where geographical tensions Policies and local manufacturing policies are more relevant than ever, Intel is positioning as a strategic alternative that Apple can't easily ignore.

The deal would also represent a lifeline for Intel, whose foundry business has been struggling to gain traction in the market. CEO Lip-Bu Tan has bet big on turning Intel into a world-class chipmaker, and getting Ap ple as a customer would be the biggest endorsement that could get. Collaboration wouldn't mean leaving TSMC —which would be would guide manufacturing the most advanced chips such as M Pro, M Max and M Ultra—, but Intel would cover the lower end models. 

Which devices could benefit from this change

According to the available information, the initial focus would be on devices with entry-level chips. The MacBook Air, iPad Air and iPad Pro would be the first candidates to incorporate M processors manufactured by r Intel, possibly starting with the M6 or M7 models. These chips involve lower manufacturing complexities and lower costs, which allows Apple to delegate its production without putting its star products at risk. 

For the end user, the experience would be virtually identical. All chips would still be designed by Apple with ARM architecture, guaranteeing the same performance and compatibility of software, regardless of whether the manufacturer is Intel or TSMC. In other words, the software wouldn't notice the difference and the macOS ecosystem would still work exactly the same. 

What is clear is that Apple is not abandoning its philosophy of designing its own chips—one of the most brilliant decisions in its recent history—but rather it is being pragmatic about who makes them. Diversification Supplier action is a sign of strategic maturity, not technological weakness. And if Apple has proven anything over the years, it is that it knows very well when to move before the rest of the industry sees it coming.