Apple is exploring new chip manufacturing partners as it looks to reduce its heavy reliance on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which currently builds the processors used in iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The company has started early discussions with Intel and has also reviewed Samsung Electronics facilities in the United States, signaling a clear shift in how it wants to secure its silicon supply chain.
Bloomberg reports that these talks remain at an early stage, with no confirmed orders or agreements in place.
Apple Inc. has held exploratory discussions about using Intel Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. to produce the main processors for its devices in the US, a move that would offer a secondary option beyond longtime partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
Apple has depended on TSMC for over a decade, especially for advanced nodes like the current 3-nanometer process used in its latest chips, and this level of dependence has started to show limits as global demand for high-performance chips continues to rise.
Apple is looking beyond TSMC
The pressure comes from two directions, with rising demand for AI-focused computing hardware and ongoing supply chain risks pushing Apple to rethink its strategy. The company already acknowledged limited flexibility during its recent earnings call, which reflects growing concerns about depending on a single supplier.
For more than a decade, Apple has designed the main processors, known as systems-on-a-chip, that power its devices and relied on TSMC to build them using the most advanced production processes in Taiwan.
At the same time, Apple faces practical challenges, since both Intel and Samsung still lag behind TSMC in terms of “production and scale,” which makes any shift complicated.
Internal changes support the move
Apple recently reorganized its hardware teams under Chief Hardware Officer Johny Srouji, and the Silicon division now operates under Sri Santhanam, which shows tighter control over chip development and sourcing decisions.
This structure gives Apple more room to test alternatives without disrupting its current production pipeline, especially as it explores manufacturing options in the United States.
Intel sees this as a chance to strengthen its foundry business under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, while Samsung aims to close the gap with TSMC in advanced chip manufacturing. Apple gains leverage by exploring options, even if it does not commit immediately.
Bloomberg notes that Apple still has “concerns about using non-TSMC technology,” which means any final decision will depend on reliability and performance rather than just diversification goals.
For now, Apple is testing the waters, and that alone shows how serious the supply chain pressure has become.
