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For over 10 years, Apple has depended on Taiwan-based TSMC to build the chips that power iPhones and Macs. That could soon change.<\/p>\n
Apple is talking with Intel and Samsung about producing its main processors in the US, according to Bloomberg<\/a>. CEO Tim Cook said on the company\u2019s recent earnings call that chip shortages are constraining growth for products like the Mac mini and iPhone 17 Pro. \u201cWe have less flexibility in the supply chain than we normally would,\u201d he said. Intel\u2019s stock jumped 12% on the news.<\/p>\n But this goes deeper than just today\u2019s supply problems. Apple likes having at least two suppliers for any critical part\u2014it gives them better pricing and backup options if something goes wrong. The Taiwan situation is especially dicey. China claims the island as its own territory, and Cook\u2019s pointed out that having 60% of chip production concentrated in one spot \u201cis probably not a strategic position.\u201d Apple already gets some chips from TSMC\u2019s Arizona plant, but bringing Intel and Samsung into the mix would mark a real shift in how the company sources its most important components.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n For over 10 years, Apple has depended on Taiwan-based TSMC to build the chips that power iPhones and Macs. That could soon change.<\/p>\n