Apple could use Intel chips in 2027 for new MacBook Air and iPad models

02-Dec-2025

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Apple and Intel may be heading for a major reunion, but not in the way anyone might have imagined. 

After parting ways more than four years ago when Apple ditched Intel processors for its own M-series chips, the two companies are reportedly working towards a foundry deal that could see Intel manufacturing Apple’s next-generation Mac and iPad processors by 2027.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has quietly signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Intel to access its 18AP process design kit (PDK), a cutting-edge 2nm manufacturing technology. This partnership wouldn’t make Intel Apple’s chip designer again but rather a contract manufacturer, producing Apple’s custom silicon alongside long-time partner TSMC.