Five Years After Apple Broke Up With Intel, Intel is Begging for Money

Intel and Apple have been in discussions about how to work more closely together, reports Bloomberg. The talks started after Intel approached Apple about a potential investment, but they are in the early stages and might not result in an agreement.

intel core ultra
Intel has been struggling to compete with other chipmakers, and earlier this year, the company announced that it was cutting 15 percent of its workforce and canceling factories that it planned to build in Europe. Back in August, the U.S. government purchased a 9.9 percent stake in Intel to speed up Intel's Ohio manufacturing plans.

Since then, Nvidia invested $5 billion in Intel for chips for PCs and data centers, and Japanese company SoftBank also invested $2 billion. Intel is said to be reaching out to several other companies about investments and possible partnerships.

Before transitioning to custom Apple silicon chips starting in 2020, Apple used chips designed by Intel for its Macs. Apple no longer relies on Intel's technology, and uses TSMC to manufacture chips that Apple designs.

Apple also worked with Intel on 5G modem chips when it was attempting to move away from Qualcomm technology. Intel was not able to manufacture modem chips that were up to Apple's standards, so the deal fell through. Intel ended up exiting the modem chip business, and selling its modem business to Apple.

There is no chance that Apple would switch back to Intel chips for its products, so it is not clear what kind of deal the two companies could establish. TSMC makes all of Apple's chips, but it is possible that Apple could transition to having some components manufactured by Intel.

Tag: Intel

Popular Stories

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...

Top Rated Comments

hieranonymous Avatar
19 weeks ago
Back when Intel was still bigger than Apple, Steve Jobs approached Intel multiple times about developing custom silicon for Apple’s laptops and smartphones. Intel declined every time. That decision essentially made Intel irrelevant once Apple fully embraced ARM and the rest of the industry followed Apple’s lead. The then-CEO of Intel later admitted that saying no to Jobs was his biggest blunder.
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrENGLISH Avatar
19 weeks ago
Intel intentionally dragged their feet for a full decade before Apple made the switch. It is their own fault they are where they are at today.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
julesme Avatar
19 weeks ago
If Apple invests, it will (in my opinion) likely be a small amount, a token really, in the spirit of encouraging competition among a (potential) future foundry vendor.

It would be positive for Apple longer-term if there were more foundry businesses for them to partner with.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Martin Bland Avatar
19 weeks ago

Apple also worked with Intel on 5G modem chips when it was attempting to move away from Qualcomm technology. Intel was not able to manufacture modem chips ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/04/03/intel-delays-5g-iphone-2020/') that were up to Apple's standards, so the deal fell through. Intel ended up exiting ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/04/16/intel-exits-5g-smartphone-modem-business/') the modem chip business, and selling its modem business to Apple ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/07/25/apple-intel-acquisition/').
Apple was able to execute with the leftovers of Intel's failure. Intel hasn't been able to execute for over a decade at this point. Intel needs to successfully execute on something to be of interest to Apple. The most interesting for Apple would be for Intel to be a fab alternative to TSMC. But Intel is showing no signs of being able to execute on its process...

Half jokingly, Intel stands a better chance of executing on anything if it offers itself for sale to Apple. At the very low price that Apple prefers.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nom4d Avatar
19 weeks ago
I think the title word begging should be changed. It’s not begging. It’s aggressive partnership-seeking and capital raising is what intel is trying to do.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IJustWannaTalk Avatar
19 weeks ago
Microsoft did save Apple by investing, once.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)