Apple is considering new chip manufacturing sources and has made initial contact with Intel and Samsung.

According to BlockBeats, on May 5th, Apple is evaluating its strategy of adjusting its long-standing reliance on a single foundry due to tight advanced process capacity and surging AI demand. It has already made initial contact with Intel and Samsung Electronics to explore new chip manufacturing sources, but no actual orders have been placed yet. The report states that Apple is assessing Intel's foundry capabilities while also examining Samsung's advanced wafer fab under construction in Texas. However, Apple remains cautious about non-TSMC technologies, and the progress of cooperation remains uncertain. Supply shortages are the core reason for this adjustment. Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that the chip shortage for iPhones and Macs has limited the company's growth, with the bottleneck mainly concentrated in the advanced process nodes upon which SoCs rely. With the simultaneous increase in demand for AI computing power and on-device AI devices, the supply of products such as the Mac mini, Mac Studio, and iPhone 17 Pro is under pressure, and it is expected that it will take several more months to achieve supply-demand balance. Industry insiders believe that introducing diversified contract manufacturing aligns with Apple's consistent strategy of mitigating supply chain risks. However, in the field of advanced manufacturing processes, TSMC remains irreplaceable in the short term. If Intel and Samsung can secure orders, it will significantly boost the competitiveness of Apple's contract manufacturing business.