Apple-Intel Foundry Deal Could Reshape U.S. Chip Manufacturing

The potential partnership would mark Intel’s biggest external foundry win yet—and a major test of U.S.-backed semiconductor strategy.

By Pat Brans, EE Times | May 12, 2026

The reported preliminary agreement between Apple and Intel for Intel to manufacture some Apple-designed chips could signal far more than a new customer relationship. If realized at meaningful scale, the partnership could reshape the economics of advanced semiconductor manufacturing, accelerate the transformation of Intel Foundry, and test the increasingly interventionist semiconductor strategy of the U.S.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Apple and Intel had reached a preliminary manufacturing agreement after more than a year of discussions. According to the article, the Trump administration played an active role in encouraging partnerships between Intel and major U.S. technology firms, including Apple, Nvidia, and SpaceX.

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