Apple, Intel Are Reigniting Partnership For the Mac, Says Rumor—Will It Be For M-Series Chips?

It has been five years since Apple and Intel parted ways after their long collaboration, but a new rumor suggests that they are set to reignite this partnership, and it would still be for the Mac computers.

Apple, Intel Set to Partner Up Again For the Mac

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared a new report about the rumored return of Apple and Intel's partnership for the Mac, and like the previous one, it will still focus on supplying chips.

The report claims that Apple is already in talks with Intel regarding this development, and the chips that will come out of this deal would be available by mid-2027 to power Macs.

The return of Intel as Apple's chip supplier centers on the Santa Clara-based chip manufacturer's latest 18A process as it is said to be the "earliest available sub-2nm advanced node manufactured in North America."

Intel's previous developments for Apple focused on the Intel Core series chips, which used the x86 architecture and are different from the Cupertino tech giant's M-series chips that use the Arm architecture.

Kuo claims that Intel may only assist in manufacturing the processors, with TSMC still continuing to be Apple's major supplier for the M-series chips. Tapping into Intel again would also put Apple on good terms with the Trump administration for its "Made in USA" push for products.

Will It Be for the Mac's M-series Chips?

Intel's 18A process would be reportedly used for the M-series chips, but this would only be for the lowest-end processors. According to Kuo, it is expected to arrive as early as mid-2027.

Apple dropped Intel in 2020 to focus on its self-designed chips to power the Mac, and this was the famous debut of the M1 processor, which changed the Cupertino tech giant's computer development.

Reviews and reports claimed that the M1 chip is more powerful than its Intel Core i5 counterpart on previous MacBook Pro versions, and it has since been a game-changer for Apple.

Since then, Intel has thrown jabs against Apple over their claims of the many disadvantages of the M1 chipset compared to using an Intel-powered Windows PC, with the Mac said to still be limiting users on features.

It has been a long feud since Apple dropped Intel five years ago, but the Cupertino tech giant kept on improving their M-series chips with faster, more powerful processes and new features. The Mac makers have stuck with the M-series and are intent on using it for future computers they will release.