Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

[zenotds]

It's the same machines TSMC has, and they're all prodoced by ASML..
Just an alternative stateside manufacturer for the chips, probably cause of the tariff by the orange clown.
People think Apple goin back to actual intel chips. Not the case, learn to read.

 

[JPack]

As others have stated - obviously this would be a case of Intel providing fab services to make Apple designed chips.

At the time of Apple’s transition to the M series, Intel stated their hope that they might provide such fab services to Apple in the future and Apple left open the possibility. At the same time, Intel also stated their intention to move in the fab market of producing other people’s chips in parallel with their own.
So, nothing unanticipated or shocking about this possibility.

Also clearly reported on for some years now is that Intel made a significant investment in ASML in exchange for exclusive early access to the next generation of lithography machines. Since ASML has fully monopolized the high end of the lithography market, as long as Intel can execute implementation of said next generation machines without significantly more difficultly than other chip fab players that may come along behind, then Intel will be opening up a significant lead in the coming generation of chip technology for at least a few years. That story was set in motion a couple years ago or so, and now it looks like it is starting to play out as Intel planned.
If it does, then Apple will need to go to Intel for the latest generation of chip technology in the time frame discussed in this article. And to make that happen, they will have to start preparing now, so this story seems to be pretty much what should have been expected, right at about the time it should have been expected.

Intel acquires ASML’s entire 2024 stock of High NA EUV machines

Forces Samsung and SK Hynix to wait until next year for equipment

www.datacenterdynamics.com

Intel acquires ASML’s entire 2024 stock of High NA EUV machines

Forces Samsung and SK Hynix to wait until next year for equipment

www.datacenterdynamics.com

Intel and ASML strengthen their collaboration to drive High-NA into manufacturing in 2025 | ASML

Intel makes its first purchase order for ASML’s TWINSCAN EXE:5200 system, marking the next step on the path to EUV 0.55 NA (High-NA) introduction.

www.asml.com

It doesn't work like that.

A lot of companies can buy machines from ASML, but it doesn't make them a good fab. Samsung can buy the machines, but their process technology is poor.

Intel can buy all the EUV machines they want. But you need the team of architects with deep expertise to develop things like nanosheet transistors, backside power delivery, and CoWoS for N2.

 

[iPrabhu]

Note to Editor/Author: The article title can be more to the point. We know you want us to read the article. The ones who cares about the news, will definitely read the article. But, don't mislead the rest.

 

[ngextreme]

If things keep going the way the are, the only chips coming from TSMC will be the ones the Chinese government approves.

american much? TSMC is not a chinese company

 

[Omega Mac]

I think what Apple wants Intel to do is demonstrate they can make the "standard" A20 SoC using a 2 nm process and stay within Apple's power consumption guidelines. If Intel can pull it off it means Apple now has a second source for future 2 nm process SoC's besides TSMC.

Apart from safeguarding a la, having all you eggs in one supplier basket, it may be a smart way to play the other suppliers off the other off each in other in terms of keeping costs down. No point in being held to ransom and maybe give them more flexibility on runs ramps ups and ramp downs.

IIRC Intel announced some years back they would facilitate or move to have some ARM fab capacity for obvious industry reason, this was before or not long after Apple Silicon became a thing.

 

[bradman83]

Microsoft's reluctance to fully embrace Arm tech at the OS level is ridiculous. Seems like the know it could be disastrous for their bottom line. How unfocused can a massive tech company be?

Microsoft has hardly been reluctant to fully embrace ARM. They released a major update to Windows 11 last year which completely re-architected their ARM kernel and debuted a new x86 emulation/compatibility layer called Prism. This was alongside the launch of the new Snapdragon Elite laptops which were reviewed quite favorably.

And you're right in that forcing a move to ARM would be disastrous for Microsoft's. The primary appeal of Windows is its compatibility, including with vast swaths of custom software solutions that businesses of all sizes have built out which would require updating. Microsoft's primary revenue source is enterprise customers and enterprises need consistency with their software environments.