Global Crisis Raises Concerns, World's Smartphone King Begins Stockpiling Ammunition

Apple appears to be working hard to overcome the challenges of the global memory chip shortage that has plagued the world since the end of last year. The company is reportedly partnering with more chip giants to secure supplies. A Bloomberg report states that the iPhone maker is in discussions to explore using Intel and Samsung Electronics. This collaboration aims for both companies to produce the main processors for Apple’s devices, cited from Reuters on Tuesday (5/5/2026). The talks are being conducted separately. Apple executives are said to have visited Samsung’s under-construction factory in Texas and held discussions with Intel. The negotiations with both companies are still in the early stages and have not yet yielded any results. If successful, Apple would have options beyond Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, which has long been its partner. One product using chips made by the company is the latest iPhone 17 lineup. However, the same report mentions that Apple is quite concerned about using TSMC technology. This relates to the reliability and scale produced by the other companies. Apple forecasted ongoing chip supply constraints last month. Even iPhone sales were reportedly held back during that period due to chip supply issues.