Intel’s efforts to rebuild its chipmaking business may have landed its biggest customer yet. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Apple has agreed to work with Intel to design and manufacture chips in the United States, a deal that could significantly strengthen Intel’s foundry ambitions.
The announcement does not come out of the blue. Earlier reports indicated that Apple and Intel had been discussing a manufacturing partnership for more than a year and had already begun working together on select chip production projects.
A major customer win for Intel
Trump announced the agreement in a post on Truth Social but did not specify which Apple chips Intel would manufacture. The president said the deal is part of his administration’s efforts to strengthen domestic chip production and support Intel’s recovery.
Landing Apple would be a major breakthrough for Intel Foundry. The company has spent years trying to attract major technology customers and prove it can compete with manufacturing leaders such as TSMC.
The Trump administration has also invested heavily in Intel’s future. Last year, the U.S. government took a 10% stake in the company and announced plans to invest roughly $10 billion to help build and expand semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the United States.
Intel and Apple have not officially announced the partnership, and neither company has publicly commented on Trump’s claims.
Intel’s foundry push is finally starting to show results
Recent developments suggest Intel’s manufacturing plans may finally be gaining momentum. The company recently announced that its 18A-P manufacturing process has entered risk production, a key milestone before large-scale manufacturing begins. Intel has also secured Tesla as a future customer for its 14A process, while reports suggest Nvidia could manufacture some products using Intel Foundry technology later this decade.
An Apple manufacturing deal would add significant weight to those efforts. Securing one of the world’s largest chip buyers would help validate Intel’s manufacturing roadmap and strengthen its position as it competes for more foundry customers. With TSMC facing strong demand for advanced manufacturing capacity and charging higher prices for access to its leading-edge processes, Intel has an opportunity to establish itself as a credible alternative for major chip designers.