Days after Bloomberg reported that Apple was in early-stage discussions with Intel and Samsung over U.S.-based chip manufacturing, The Wall Street Journal now claims Apple and Intel have reached a preliminary agreement.
Sources familiar with the matter say the two companies have been engaged in intensive talks for more than a year, with the framework of a formal deal taking shape recently. However, it remains unclear which Apple products could eventually use Intel-manufactured chips.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously suggested that Intel could begin producing Apple’s lower-end M-series chips as early as Q2 2027. If the partnership proves successful, Intel may eventually manufacture future M6 or M7 chips for products such as the MacBook Air, iPad Air, and even select iPad Pro models
