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Apple is exploring potential partnerships with Intel and Samsung Electronics to reduce its reliance on TSMC for advanced chip production, according to a media report.
Bloomberg reported Monday that Apple is in early-stage discussions with Intel and Samsung over manufacturing key processors used in iPhones and Macs. Apple executives have also visited Samsung’s chip fabrication facility under construction in Taylor, Texas, the report said.
The discussions remain preliminary and have not led to firm orders or contracts, with concerns lingering over technological capabilities and production stability.
For more than a decade, Apple has relied on a model in which it designs its own chips and outsources production almost exclusively to TSMC, including its latest 3-nanometer processors.
However, surging demand for artificial intelligence — both in data centers and on-device applications — has tightened supply of advanced chips. Rising demand for Macs has further exacerbated the supply squeeze.
Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook recently acknowledged growing constraints, saying supply chain flexibility has weakened compared to the past and that chip shortages are limiting product growth, particularly for core processors rather than memory chips.
Apple’s consideration of Samsung and Intel reflects a broader push to diversify its supply chain. While the company typically sources components such as displays and memory chips from multiple suppliers, it has remained heavily dependent on TSMC for its most critical processors.
At the same time, rising costs for TSMC’s advanced manufacturing processes have added to Apple’s burden.
For Samsung Electronics, securing Apple as a client would mark a significant shift, as it lost Apple’s key chip manufacturing orders to TSMC in 2016.
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