Intel (INTC) Stock: Apple Partnership Could Mark Chipmaker's Big Comeback

TLDR

Table of Contents

Intel shares surged 10% Friday and maintained gains Monday after analyst forecasts Apple chip deal
Ming-Chi Kuo predicts Intel will supply Apple’s lowest-end M processor by Q2 or Q3 2027
Deal timeline depends on Intel’s process design kit release scheduled for early 2026
Apple currently sources all chips from TSMC but Intel partnership supports U.S. manufacturing push
Analyst says Intel deal won’t hurt TSMC’s position as Apple’s primary chip supplier

Intel stock climbed 10% Friday and held most gains in Monday premarket trading. The surge followed predictions from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo about a potential Apple partnership.

Intel Corporation, INTC

Kuo posted on X that Intel could begin shipping its lowest-end M processor to Apple as early as Q2 or Q3 2027. His latest industry surveys show improved visibility on Intel becoming an advanced-node supplier to Apple.

The stock slipped 0.59% to $18.23 as of 6:26am ET Monday. However, most of Friday’s gains remained intact.

The partnership’s timeline hinges on Intel’s process design kit release. This blueprint allows Apple engineers to design chips. Intel plans to release the kit in early 2026.

Apple’s Current Chip Strategy

TSMC manufactures all of Apple’s silicon chips for iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. The Taiwanese foundry dominates Apple’s advanced chip production.

Kuo believes TSMC will maintain its position. He expects Apple to remain “highly dependent” on TSMC’s advanced nodes for the foreseeable future.

Order volumes for the lowest-end M processor are relatively small. Kuo said the Intel deal would have “virtually no material impact” on TSMC’s fundamentals or technology leadership.

The Intel partnership carries political weight. Kuo noted it would demonstrate Apple’s support for the Trump administration’s domestic manufacturing initiatives.

Neither Intel nor Apple provided comments to CNBC.

What This Means for Intel

Paul Markham from GAM Global Equities sees the deal as validation. “Apple is a potential major reference customer whose presence validates Intel’s high-performance foundry offering,” he told CNBC.

Success could open bigger opportunities. Markham believes Intel might win higher-value contracts from Apple, such as iPhone CPU production. The partnership could also attract other major chip designers.

Intel stock has recovered substantially over the past year. Shares bottomed at $17.66 in April before climbing steadily through recent months.

The two tech giants share a complicated history. Intel announced in 2005 that its processors would power select Apple products. Apple shifted away from Intel processors in the early 2020s.

TSMC filed a lawsuit against Intel last week. The complaint alleges a former senior vice president leaked confidential information to Intel. Intel hasn’t commented on the litigation.

Kuo’s prediction represents a potential turning point for Intel’s foundry business. The company has invested heavily in U.S. manufacturing capabilities. An Apple partnership would validate those investments and could attract additional customers.

Intel’s process design kit will be the first major milestone. Apple engineers need this documentation to start designing chips for Intel’s manufacturing process. The 2026 release date sets the stage for potential 2027 production.

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