Chips for iPhone Becoming Scarcer, Apple Approaches Rivals
Apple is reportedly beginning to explore cooperation with its rivals, Intel and Samsung Electronics, to produce chips for their devices, from iPhones to Macs.
This step is being taken amid rising concerns over the increasingly tight global chip supply, due to the explosion in demand for artificial intelligence (AI).
To date, Apple has been known to be heavily dependent on the Taiwanese semiconductor company TSMC as the main supplier of A-series and M-series chips for iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
However, according to a Bloomberg report cited by KompasTekno from Reuters, Apple is now starting initial discussions with Intel and Samsung to seek alternative chip production in the United States (US).
Nevertheless, these talks are said to still be in the early stages and have not yet resulted in any production agreements or official chip orders.
Apple is reportedly proceeding with caution, as Intel and Samsung are considered not yet able to match the production scale and reliability level of TSMC in making the most advanced chips.
Apple’s growing interest in alternative chip suppliers comes as the global technology industry faces pressure on semiconductor supplies.
The surge in demand for AI chips for data centres and servers is drawing global semiconductor production capacity increasingly towards the AI sector.
A Reuters report states that Samsung’s chip division profits have surged sharply due to high demand for AI chips. Samsung has even warned that the global chip shortage is expected to worsen until 2027.
A Guardian report indicates that prices for laptops and consumer electronic devices could rise due to chip memory shortages triggered by the AI boom.
Not only memory, but processor supplies are also coming under pressure. Tom’s Hardware reports that PC manufacturers are now facing supply queues for Intel and AMD chips of up to six months due to high demand from AI hyperscalers.
This situation is prompting major technology companies to seek supply chain diversification to avoid over-reliance on a single chip producer.
Apple’s approach to Intel and Samsung is also viewed as an effort by the company to strengthen its supply chain in the US, amid geopolitical tensions between the US and China and risks in the Taiwan region.