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 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.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week 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...
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker.
Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...
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.
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.
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.geekwebguides.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.geekwebguides.com/2019/04/16/intel-exits-5g-smartphone-modem-business/') the modem chip business, and selling its modem business to Apple ('https://www.geekwebguides.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.
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.
