In a detailed new analysis shared on X, longtime Apple supply-chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has provided the clearest picture yet of Apple’s expanding partnership with Intel Foundry. Far from a limited trial, Apple has simultaneously launched low-end/legacy processors for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on Intel’s 18A-P process (using Foveros packaging), with wafer allocation that closely mirrors its overall device sales mix — about 80% iPhone.
According to Kuo, Apple’s wafer plans for Intel’s 18A-P technology follow a deliberate multi-year lifecycle:
• Small-scale testing in 2026
• Ramp in 2027
• Continued growth in 2028
• Expected decline in 2029
Apple has kicked off low-end/legacy iPhone, iPad, and Mac processors at Intel on the 18A-P series (using Foveros packaging).
Apple’s wafer plans at Intel reflect the technology lifecycle of the 18A-P series: small-scale testing in 2026, ramp in 2027, continued growth in 2028, and decline in 2029.
This schedule gives Apple time to validate yields, optimize designs, and fine-tune collaboration processes across its full product lineup rather than simply placing a low-risk experimental order.
Kuo emphasizes that Apple is systematically cultivating Intel as a long-term key supplier. The move comes as Apple recognizes the growing revenue gap at TSMC between AI/HPC work and consumer devices like iPhones. By developing a strong alternative foundry relationship while it still holds significant bargaining power with TSMC, Apple is reducing single-source risk and strengthening its negotiating position for the future. Apple also continues to actively evaluate Intel’s other advanced-node technologies beyond 18A-P.
For Intel, the partnership represents a rare, high-quality “foundry training” opportunity. Apple’s orders span multiple product lines, are large enough in scale, and require the kind of dynamic design and production adjustments that will help Intel rebuild its advanced-node capabilities. While TSMC is still projected to retain well over 90% of Apple’s advanced-node supply even if Intel’s early shipments go smoothly, the strategic value of winning Apple as a customer goes far beyond near-term revenue.
Kuo notes that Intel’s mass-production timeline and shipment volumes remain unclear, and assemblers have not yet received shipment schedules. Intel’s internal 2027 yield target is to stabilize at 50–60% or higher. Sentiment inside Intel toward the Apple business is described as mixed, but the opportunity is unmistakable: Apple is one of the very few customers offering Intel both scale and the demanding standards needed to prove its foundry can compete at the highest level.
From Apple’s perspective, the timing makes perfect sense. Discussions with Intel began well before TSMC’s advanced-node capacity became critically tight, reflecting a long-term hedging strategy rather than a reactive scramble. As TSMC’s capacity increasingly tilts toward AI customers, Apple is proactively securing options — options that could become increasingly valuable in the years ahead.
MacDailyNews Take: The key in Kuo’s report: “[I]t is only natural that Apple would turn to Intel to strengthen its bargaining position.” It’s all about leverage. The better Intel can do, the better it is for Apple in its negotiations with TSMC.
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