Locator: 49806INTEL.
Cramer: says that Intel has Apple as a customer; CEO just not allowed to say that -- 8:08 a.m., today on CNBC.
What do others say? Wow, this was coincidental. This popped up on MacRumors today.
Some observations:
- Nvidia and Apple are in direct competition for TSMC chips;
- Nvidia has reportedly surpassed Apple as TSMC's largest customer which comes at a very pivotal time;
- Apple taking strategic steps to ensure no supply chain interruption
- but if that's accurate, the earliest Intel - Apple could partner would be no earlier than mid-2027 -- a year-and-a-half away;
- and that would be for Apple's lowest-end M-series chips; by which time (2027) Apple would be much farther along in their M-series, making this part of the story almost a non-story;
- it's only an "expectation" that Intel might begin supplying some Apple chips using its future 14A process, which will reportedly be ready for mass production in 2028;
- in addition, the same analyst suggests that Apple and Intel will come to some agreement for Intel to supply at least some non-Pro iPhone models starting in 2028; these would be at least a portion of A21 or A22 chips, but TSMC is expected to remain Apple's primary chipmaking partner
- in other words:
- a lot of rumor and conjecture;
- would involve only a small portion of chips;
- would involve Apple's low end chips that might be considered obsolete by US consumers;
- Intel is currently working on its 18A chips, and there are rumors that Intel is having difficulty reaching profitable yields
- Intel is well known to have had such difficulties in the past
- Intel was struggling with 10-nm and 7-nm some years ago when Apple / TSMC were already producing 3-nm chips;
- Intel did not discuss chip yield (18A) in its 4Q25 conference call yesterday;
- analysts at that conference call were noted to be quite frustrated on non-answers
- a jump from 10-nm / 7-nm to 18A chips is quite a jump
- even 18A chips might not be readily available (and profitable) until mid-2027;
- 14A chips are even further down the road, mid-2028.This is how I see it; others will see it much differently.
- Any announcement that Apple and Intel have signed an agreement will likely boost Intel's stock significantly.
I'm still struggling with imagining a company having trouble making 10-nm and 7-nm chips in the past, all of a sudden jumping 5-nm, 3-nm, and 2-nm to go directly from 10-nm / 7-nm to 18A as a bridge to 14A chips.
Again, this is nothing more than idle rambling.
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I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out front of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it comes to the Bakken. I am inappropriately exuberant about the US economy and the US market. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. See disclaimer. This is not an investment site. Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything. If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them. Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution. I've now added Broadcom to the disclaimer. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom. Longer version here.
