Apple plans to manufacture chips with Intel to reduce its dependence on TSMC, which cannot produce enough for iPhones. However, the chips would take 2 to 3 years to manufacture and up to 2028 to reach products like MacBooks. For the public, this means that Apple device prices or availability will not change soon. The conclusion is that the alliance is strategic but will have no immediate impact on consumers.
Manufacturing processes and production timelines 🏭
The integration of Intel into Apple's supply chain will not be quick. The chips require advanced nodes that Intel is still perfecting, such as 18A. TSMC maintains its leadership in volume, but its lines are at capacity. Apple seeks to diversify risks, not replace its main partner. The timelines indicate that the first Intel chips for iPhones will not see the light until at least 2026, and their impact on MacBooks would be delayed until 2028. It is a long-term move, not an immediate solution.
Spoiler: your next iPhone won't have an Intel chip 📱
So if you were waiting for an iPhone with an Intel chip to save a few euros, bad news. By the time those chips arrive, you will likely have changed your phone three times already. Apple plays chess while we are still playing checkers. The alliance is like promising a dinner five years from now: it sounds good, but today we still have to eat from the TSMC menu.