Apple may tap Intel again to manufacture future M-series Mac chips

TL;DR: Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple is poised to bring Intel back into its Mac ecosystem, this time not as a chip designer but as a manufacturing partner.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple is poised to bring Intel back into its Mac ecosystem, this time not as a chip designer but as a manufacturing partner.
According to the report, Intel could start producing Apple’s lowest-end M-series chips on its advanced 18A process as early as mid-2027, potentially for future MacBook Air, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models.
Unlike the old Intel x86 processors used in Macs before 2020, these chips would still be Apple-designed Arm-based silicon, with Intel acting only as a foundry while TSMC continues to handle the bulk of M-series producti…
The move would support US manufacturing goals and help Apple diversify its supply chain, even as macOS Tahoe remains the last major release to support legacy Intel-based Macs.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple is poised to bring Intel back into its Mac ecosystem, this time not as a chip designer but as a manufacturing partner. According to the report, Intel could start producing Apple’s lowest-end M-series chips on its advanced 18A process as early as mid-2027, potentially for future MacBook Air, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models.

Unlike the old Intel x86 processors used in Macs before 2020, these chips would still be Apple-designed Arm-based silicon, with Intel acting only as a foundry while TSMC continues to handle the bulk of M-series production. The move would support US manufacturing goals and help Apple diversify its supply chain, even as macOS Tahoe remains the last major release to support legacy Intel-based Macs.

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