The question: can Intel's fabs produce 3 nanometer chips that meets Apple's power requirements?
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Apple Rumored to Partner With Intel on iPhone Chips
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For quite a few, I am afraid, the title is the first and last sentence of the article on which they base their comment/s …
Did you read it? The article mentioned, in two different places, the idea that Intel might be involved in designing.
You know who doesn’t remember them? The millions of users who never had a problem with their iPhone 7. The only people who cared were those who saw a few cherry-picked test results and suddenly became experts on cellular modems overnight.
The current Administration is all about America First, Made in the USA. Billions are being spent on bringing Manufacturing back to the United States. TSMC is a Foreign company operating on US soil thats overpricing their products and is in danger of losing their core facilities including the personnel that run them. Intel is an American company heavily invested in and backed by the US Government, will not be allowed to fail and is all about the current theme of American Made. Companies such as Apple, Microsoft, SoftBank and Nvidia are well aware of this.
Didn't MR have a similar article a few weeks ago with a similar misleading headline and everyone got in an uproar, and here it is again?
That's good because my iPhone 7 hardly worked on Verizon's network for about a month. I could not complete a call without it dropping.
Nvidia can’t sell at the volume they are forever. Eventually AI will be satiated for chips, and then TSMC will have to court Apple again. Ask Nvidia how that works out when you spurn Apple. If Intel proves reliable enough, Apple may choose to reduce their TSMC business as much as possible as a consequence for TSMC’s devaluation of the partnership.
Yes and yes.
Apple needs a backup to TSMC because of AI, global politics, and it just being a good idea. Using Intel to fab some chips will likely keep costs down vs. competing with everyone for TSMC.
QC in anyway that an enduser consumer is ever going to see/feel? Chips that have defects in manufacturing will get caught in testing, binned or discarded... Defects that don't live up to Apple's standards are Intel's problem and I'm sure will be accounted for. Does Intel suddenly have a high-rate of failure on silicon that is making into the box and into a consumer's hand? Why would anyone care about this as long as they have a working chip in their phone that is functionally identical to all the the chips in other phones regardless of what fab it came from?
Which of these quotes from the article mention that Intel might be involved in designing?
It's been operational since late 2024. Currently it is only a 4 nm (TSMC N4) fab which in terms of CPUs that limits it to supplying the A16 chip which is only still used in the base iPad and all the current Apple Watch CPUs. The C1 modem (and possibly but not confirmed the N1 chip) is also produced on the N4 process. A 3nm fab is expected to open at TSMC Arizona by 2028. TSMC has stated that cutting edge processes will continue to be built in Taiwan first, with them only coming to the US later which means you won't be seeing the latest A series and M series chips coming out of this facility. Apple's use of this facility will be limited to older chips and production of modems and bluetooth/wifi chips which tend to made on last gen manufacturing processes anyway.
https://www.tsmc.com/static/abouttsmcaz/index.htm
For the most part the same folks who designed that designed Apple's latest modems.
Superficial labels do not fully dictate context. [ The new ones with largely the same folks work OK. ]
The internal Intel design tools for the internal only Intel fab process probably would not be in play this time. That is another relevant difference.
No.
Apple isn't going to buy up any RAM or NAND suppliers either. Need more suppliers to get the industry average cost to do down; not less.
The word 'partner' appears in both title and first sentence so they are equally as flawed. Stopping after the first sentence doesn't leave you in any better shape than the title.
Most Macrumors front page articles are written up to in part spark some controversy ( hence clicks and page churn ) It doesn't stop at titles.
Basically not what Intel is saying.
" ..
wo potential customers are currently exploring test chips made on Intel's 14A fabrication process, Intel disclosed as part of its earnings call this week.
The company said that there will be different variants of 14A, but Intel had to admit that it does not have any external customers that have committed to using the new manufacturing technology. The good news is that so far, the response from potential customers to its 14A process development kit (PDK) has been positive. ...
...
...
and we believe customers will begin to make firm supplier decisions starting in the second half of this year, and extending into the first half of 2027.""
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-i...hear-about-commitments-in-second-half-of-2026...
And this from the slide deck from earnings meeting (same article link if wish a quick reference look).
(same link. )
No hard commitments. Basically in the "it might be alright" stage. Probably no commitment coming until much later in 2026. Intel's target for high volume manufacturing are late 2027. Spring 2028 would not be picking up the bleeding edge production, but not late in the cycle either. If Apple waited until Spring 2027 to commit then probably could get wafers end '26 / early '27 but likely not very high volume. If any other 3rd parties committ before Apple ... even less availability early in 2028.
The problem with Intel doesn’t seem to be its processes per se but, rather, teething problems.
Intel stock drops 17%, its worst day since 2024, as manufacturing troubles overshadow earnings beat
Over the last year, Intel shares have rallied more than double on hopes of a turnaround for the embattled American chipmaker.
So, even if 14A and 18A work out great it seems just a bit premature for Apple to jump on board yet. But, on the other hand, it’s clear Apple needs to broaden its supply chain - for a number of reasons outside of politics.