President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Apple had agreed to work with Intel to design and manufacture chips in the United States, but Apple and Intel had not confirmed the arrangement. The post included no volumes, timeline, chip types, or financial terms, making the announcement more political signal than commercial disclosure.
Intel and Apple have been in talks for more than a year, with the Wall Street Journal reporting in May that the companies had reached a preliminary deal for Intel to make some Apple chips. The administration has a direct stake in the outcome after taking a roughly 10 per cent stake in Intel and committing about $10bn to help build and expand domestic factories.
Apple’s interest centers on supply resilience. The company relies heavily on TSMC for advanced processors, while Nvidia and AMD are competing for the same high-end capacity for AI accelerators. Intel’s 18A process could offer a US-based alternative, but Intel’s cost per chip is around three times TSMC’s and its yields remain behind. A first Apple order, if it happens, is more likely to involve less advanced components than flagship iPhone or Mac processors.
