Apple is preparing to make a historic change in its production strategies that have been going on for many years. The company, which has so far worked almost entirely with the Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) for the processors that power iPhone, iPad and Mac models, is now sitting at the table with Intel and Samsung to diversify its supply chain.

Reports shared by Bloomberg and information from industry sources reveal that Apple senior executives are holding “exploratory” meetings with both companies. In particular, the explosion of demand for artificial intelligence chips and the fact that TSMC is reaching the limits of its production capacity are among the main factors that push Apple to this new quest.

TSMC Monopoly Breaking Plan and Supply Chain Flexibility

Apple is a company in the hardware world that generally prefers to work with at least two different suppliers for each component. Display panels with names such as Samsung, LG and BOE; In memory chips, by collaborating with Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron, it creates price competition and protects itself against a possible production disruption. But when it comes to the “A” and “M” series main processors, Apple has been relying solely on TSMC for nearly a decade.

Recently, giants such as Nvidia have reserved TSMC’s advanced 3nm and 2nm capacity for artificial intelligence data centers, restricting Apple’s production flexibility. CEO Tim Cook admitted himself in a recent financial earnings call that they have less flexibility than usual in the supply chain and that the main bottleneck is advanced processor production lines, not memory. This situation clearly explains why the technology giant is urgently looking for a “plan B”.

Intel and Samsung at the Table: Who Offers What?

It is stated that Apple executives visited Samsung’s factory, which is under construction in Texas and will produce advanced semiconductors. While Samsung was the main manufacturer of iPhone processors in the past, it lost this title to TSMC in 2016. Now, Samsung wants to regain Apple’s trust with the 2nm (SF2) process. Samsung’s biggest trump card is its long-standing mass production experience and global facility network.

On the other hand, Intel stands out as a surprising name. The company, under the management of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, has opened its doors to external customers with its “Intel Foundry” unit. It is claimed that Apple is particularly interested in Intel’s 18A-P (1.8 nanometer level) process and even signed a confidentiality agreement to review PDK (Process Design Kit) samples.

If this partnership comes true, Apple processors may have the chance to be produced on US soil again after years. This move could also enable Apple to take advantage of local production incentives and reduce logistics risks.

Situation of Competitors and Objective View

This strategic maneuver of Apple has the power to affect not only its own ecosystem but the entire semiconductor market. TSMC, which currently dominates more than 60% of the market, is still far ahead of its competitors with its technological superiority and high efficiency rate in the 80-90% range. However, Samsung and Intel adding a giant like Apple to their portfolio may change this balance.

On the Competitors front, giants such as Qualcomm and Google are experiencing a similar dilemma. While Qualcomm is shifting some of its Snapdragon processors to Samsung, Google plans to move the Tensor chips it uses in Pixel phones to TSMC factories.

While Apple’s negotiations with Intel and Samsung create a price trump card against TSMC, it is still a question mark to what extent the technological know-how gained in Samsung’s “Exynos” and Intel’s “Core Ultra” series will respond to Apple standards. Because Apple is still cautious about the scalability and consistency of technologies other than TSMC.

Current negotiations have not yet turned into a final order. Apple will likely begin testing these new partnerships with processors in low-cost iPad or entry-level MacBook models.

If Samsung and Intel can meet Apple’s strict quality standards, we may see Apple silicones signed “Made by Intel” or “Made by Samsung” at the heart of some iPhone models by 2027. This move may go down in history as a big step in the technological world, in terms of moving production from a single center to a more democratic and flexible structure.