After receiving a cash injection from SoftBank Group, Nvidia, and even the US government, Intel is now seeking investment from iPhone creator and longtime collaborator Apple.
As reported by Bloomberg, and citing "people familiar with the matter", Apple and Intel are reportedly in the early stages of conversations about "how to work more closely together". No specifics are given on what investments are being asked for or what kinds of conversations are happening, but this is part of a broader comeback attempt from Intel.
Intel has fallen behind in recent times, with the 13th and 14th Gen chip crashes only painting part of the picture. Its recent CPUs haven't been very good for gaming (while AMD has smashed it out of the park in that regard), and Intel admits it "fumbled the football" with Arrow Lake. As a result, a lot is riding on Nova Lake, and increased funding would certainly help it make an impact. More funding would help catch up to supply needs for any deals the company can make, too.
Apple has a bit of a history with Intel. Prior to the swap to its own M-series chips in 2020, Intel was the central CPU supplier for all MacBooks and Macs. Apple also purchased Intel Mobile Communications back in 2019 for $1B.
Apple hasn't really worked with Intel in a public manner in a few years, actively removing all Intel parts from its products and cutting support. But just last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook told Jim Cramer, "You know, competition is very good for the foundry business… we’d love to see Intel come back."
Intel Foundry is Intel's semiconductor fabrication company, and it's been in a bit of a strange spot for some time. Four former Intel board members pushed for a joint venture between Nvidia, Qualcomm, Google, Amazon, Apple, and Broadcom just last year, before "the rust of time makes them worthless". Apple itself has announced renewed investment in American manufacturing in the wake of Trump's tariffs. This is all to say that any investment would likely push towards Intel's manufacturing goals, and not chip design.
As an everyday MacBook user, the switch to in-house silicon chips is one of the best choices Apple has made in the last decade. Working with TSMC on the latest (and tiniest) node technology, and built with its hardware in mind, the M chips represent a big leap forward in computing power and efficiency. The hardware has become more bespoke without the challenge of having to take off-the-shelf Intel parts and put them in its devices.
Capable of running games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Lies of P, MacBooks have even become decent gaming devices. Though more competition is certainly good for the market, I'd hope any potential investment from Apple comes at arm's length, as those M-chips feel like a real wonder for the fruit-titled company.
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