Will Apple turn to Intel for production of its M-series chips in 2027? Thatās what supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted on X Friday. Citing his latest industry surveys, Kuo says that Intelās chances of becoming Appleās latest āadvanced-node supplierā¦ has improved significantlyā in recent weeks.
Any deal with Intel would be significant considering the chipmaker famously missed out on supplying its own processors for the original iPhone. Apple now has a deal with Taiwan-based TSMC to supply silicon chips for its iPhone, iPad and Mac products.
Kuo says that Apple has a non-disclosure agreement with Intel to acquire the companyās 18AP PDK 0.9.1GA chips. At this point, the company is waiting on Intel to deliver the PDK 1.0/1.1 kit, which is supposed to arrive in the first quarter of 2026. If everything stays on track, Intel could start shipping Appleās lowest-end M-series processor, built on the 18AP advanced node, sometime in the second or third quarter of 2027, Kuo says. But that timing still depends on how smoothly things go once Apple actually gets the PDK 1.0/1.1 kit.
Kuo theorizes that a deal with Intel could help Apple demonstrate to the Trump administration that its committed to ābuying Americanā by rerouting its supply chain to include more US-based companies. For Intel, a deal could signal that the companyās worst days are passed. āLooking ahead, the 14A node and beyond could capture more orders from Apple and other tier-one customers, turning Intelās long-term outlook more positive,ā Kuo writes.
Could Apple strike a deal with Intel? And what would happen if it decided to use the chipmakerās 18AP processors for its entry-level M-series?
