Taiwanese chip-making giant TSMC is the main supplier of all the chips that power Apple devices, and that’s not changing any time soon. However, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote on X over the weekend that Intel has finally reached an agreement with Apple to start making chips based on its 18AP processing node. Kuo, who has a relatively solid track record for Apple supply chain news, said this would only relate to the “lowest-end M processors” made for the MacBook Air and iPad Pro.
Intel expects to start shipping Apple’s lowest-end M processors in early 2027
There have long been rumors in the market that Intel could become an advanced-node foundry supplier for Apple, but there has been little visibility around it. However, my latest industry surveys indicate that…
– 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) 28 November 2025
The latest iPad Pros have the M5 chip, while the MacBook is still stuck with the M4. The recent 14-inch MacBook Pro refresh also has the M5 chip.
In case you’ve forgotten, here’s a refresher: Intel has been making Mac chips since the transition from PowerPC to Intel’s x86 microarchitecture in 2006. The last time Intel made a Mac chip came before 2020, when Apple first introduced its own silicon, the M1.
To be clear: Apple will not go back to Intel-Design According to Kuo’s report, the chips. Must be Intel productive Of Apple silicon, so is TSMC.
Kuo said Apple does not typically order the lowest-end M series chips, and this new deal “will have virtually no material impact on TSMC’s fundamentals.” Apple has a clear reason for seeking a US-based chip maker. The company is desperate to stay on the good side of President Donald Trump’s nativist sensibilities. In addition to offering Trump a 24-karat gold statue, Apple should at least look like it is focusing on making its products in the US, even if in such a limited capacity.
Kuo estimates that Intel-made Mac chips won’t arrive until 2027 at the earliest. This would put it in line with the alleged M7 chip. Apple is reportedly planning to launch a plethora of new Macs in 2026, according to a reliable slate of leakers. We may start the year with 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max. However, the real exciting thing may come later in the year with more advanced MacBook Pro models with OLED displays and, for the first time on a Mac, a touchscreen. Apple may also be working on smaller, lower-end MacBooks with Apple’s iPhone chips instead of the M-series, which could prove to be the most accessible way for consumers to buy into Apple’s laptop ecosystem.
In front of these new styles of Mac, Intel’s new chip manufacturing deal may seem even less significant. However, for Intel, the deal would be a major win in its long-term ambition to become a chip foundry for more than just first-party processors. Even if Intel and Apple announce a completed deal, we can assume consumers won’t be able to tell the difference between old and new Macs, with or without the “Intel Inside” sticker on laptops.
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