The potential partnership between Apple and Intel appears to be deepening, according to the latest news from the supply chain. Following previous rumors that Intel will manufacture chips for some Macs and iPads starting in 2027, the latest market intelligence points out that this partnership may be extended to Apple's core product, the iPhone.
Jeff Pu, an analyst at GF Securities, revealed in an investment memo released this week that he and his team currently expect Intel to reach a new supply agreement with Apple to start manufacturing chips for some non-Pro iPhone models starting in 2028. According to Pu, these chips for the iPhone will be manufactured using Intel's future "14A" process technology.
Although the memo did not disclose more details about these potential plans, based on the time frame it mentioned, Intel may start supplying A22 series chips for devices such as "iPhone 20" and "iPhone 20e" in about three years. It is worth noting that there is currently no indication that Intel will be involved in the design of iPhone chips. Unlike the "Intel Inside" model in the PC era, Intel's role this time is expected to be strictly limited to the foundry manufacturing process. In other words, Apple will continue to independently design iPhone chips based on the Arm architecture, while Intel will serve as a foundry and share a small part of the manufacturing tasks with Apple's main chip manufacturer TSMC.
Prior to this, well-known Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said last month that Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chips for specific Mac and iPad models as early as mid-2027. Ming-Chi Kuo pointed out that Apple plans to use Intel's "18A" process for this purpose, which is considered to be the earliest advanced node technology below 2nm currently available in North America.
If the above rumors come true, Intel's OEM of its self-designed Arm architecture chips for Apple will be in sharp contrast to the era when it historically provided x86 architecture processors for Mac. For Apple, reaching a chip supply agreement with Intel will help it further reduce its reliance on a single supply chain and strengthen the diversification of its global supply chain by adding a domestic manufacturing company in the United States. Previously, Intel had supplied cellular modems for some models from iPhone 7 to iPhone 11, but then Apple turned to Qualcomm.