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As the AI boom continues to fuel surging demand for high-performance computing, cutting-edge semiconductor capacity has become a fiercely contested battleground among technology giants. According to information obtained by Digitimes, NVIDIA and Apple are now locked in an intense struggle to secure TSMC’s forthcoming angstrom-class A16 and A14 process capacity. Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also weighed in, noting that Apple intends to mitigate supply-chain risks and is reportedly exploring a partnership with Intel on its 18AP process, which may be used to manufacture entry-level M-series processors.
Driven by the overwhelming demand for AI computation power, TSMC continues to expand its advanced-process capacity, primarily to meet the long-standing manufacturing needs of major clients such as Apple and NVIDIA. The company is not only accelerating the ramp-up of its 3nm production at the Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) fabs but is also planning even more advanced angstrom-class nodes, including A16 and A14.
This signifies that Apple—TSMC’s largest customer—will face unprecedented competition from NVIDIA when bidding for the earliest and most coveted allocations of next-generation processes. Beyond NVIDIA, long-time partners such as AMD and MediaTek are also expected to vie aggressively for TSMC’s advanced-node production slots.
Amid this overwhelming demand and constrained supply, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has proposed another possibility. He suggests that Intel’s wafer-foundry division, Intel Foundry, may win Apple’s favor with its 18AP process technology.
Kuo predicts that, should the collaboration materialize, Intel could begin shipping chips for Apple as early as 2027. However, this does not mean Apple will shift all of its fabrication needs away from TSMC. For now, Intel’s involvement will likely be limited to entry-level M-series processors—chips typically used in product lines such as the iPad and MacBook Air, where extreme performance and power efficiency are less demanding.
This potential partnership carries significant strategic weight for both sides.
For Intel, securing Apple—the world’s most exacting chip customer—would serve as a powerful endorsement of its reformed foundry technology and yield capabilities, bolstering its credibility as it seeks to challenge TSMC’s dominance in the semiconductor manufacturing arena.
For Apple, entrusting Intel with its lower-tier processors would not only diversify geopolitical and supplier risks but, more importantly, strengthen its bargaining position with TSMC. At the same time, it would allow Apple to reserve TSMC’s scarce and highly valuable advanced-node capacity—such as A16—for more profitable, performance-critical product lines, including the iPhone Pro series and the higher-end M-series processors.
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