If you think about it, it’s in the national interest for Apple to work with Intel to develop at least some capacity for silicon production outside of Taiwan. It’s also in Apple’s interest, as its continued growth means it needs more and more chips to put inside an ever-expanding product catalog.

During Apple’s Q2 26 fiscal call, CEO Tim Cook said the lack of what he called “high-end nodes” is affecting sales, particularly for Macs. He shared this news even as the company’s MacBook Neo is setting new sales records for the Mac.

Apple’s success is creating a chip problem

The need to source all those chips might have prompted Apple to reach out to Intel on how the two firms could work together on processor production once again. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now believes Apple is evaluating Intel’s advanced node technologies with a view to processor supply. “Apple’s wafer plans at Intel reflect the technology lifecycle of the [Intel] 18A-P series: small-scale testing in 2026, ramp in 2027, continued growth in 2028, and decline in 2029,” he said.

If it comes to fruition, the arrangement is a probable lifeline for Intel, which the US government feels is strategically important enough it acquired an $8.9 billion stake in the company to secure domestic advanced chip manufacturing capacity.

Intel could be TSMC’s +1

While the arrangement with Intel could end TSMC’s exclusive hold on chip production for Apple, it doesn’t seem to be a huge threat. The Taiwan-based company will continue to manufacture roughly 90% of Apple’s most powerful chips, even as the number of processors required to satiate Cupertino’s voracious appetite grows. For Intel, the promise of even 10% of Apple’s global processor demand is a lifeline for company revenue. TSMC, meanwhile, continues to invest in US chip manufacturing facilities.

Apple’s relationship with the US government suggests it also recognizes the government’s position on the national significance of Intel, which is why diverting at least some of its orders back to its old Mac processor supplier makes sense. It’s good business for Apple to maintain supplier flexibility, while it’s also good citizenship to support the government in its attempt to protect domestic chip manufacturing. 

Entry-range Apple, with a small touch of Intel

Industry and media speculation in recent months suggests that Intel will not be making the most advanced Apple Silicon chips, concentrating instead on older chip designs used in entry-level iPads, iPhones, and Macs. 

Speculation also suggests Apple intends to split up the iPhone launch cycle soon, offering advanced devices (bearing chips made by TSMC) in September, with lower-end product refresh events such as for the iPhone ‘e’ series each spring.  This is what Apple did this year, when it also introduced the MacBook Neo, a system also powered by an older processor. 

It’s plausible to think that Intel will eventually manufacture the Apple Silicon chip used inside the entry-level Mac. Of course, this would still be Apple Silicon — Intel would just make them in America. 

Could Apple’s entry-level Macs one day be made in America?

Of course, the decision to widen chip manufacturing in the US leans into Apple’s ongoing move to make more of its hardware in America, too. Apple already makes servers for Private Cloud Compute in the US and has confirmed it will begin manufacturing some Mac mini models later this year.

“Apple is deeply committed to the future of American manufacturing, and we’re proud to significantly expand our footprint in Houston with the production of Mac mini starting later this year,” said Cook when this was announced.

But with Intel expected to begin churning out processors for use across Apple’s entry-level devices, how likely is it that the company will begin to make more of the hardware that runs those chips in the USA as well? Does the decision to manufacture chips in the US make a future in which the MacBook Neo is “Made in the USA” possible?

Even if it did, to what extent would the cost of manufacturing in the US make it difficult for Apple to maintain the $599 starting price on those Macs, unless the factories churning them out were almost totally automated? 

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