Kuo: Apple may build M7 at Intel Foundry on 18AP in 2027, while M7 Pro/Max stay at TSMC—an experimental shift for iPad, MacBook Air, Vision Pro devices.
© A. Krivonosov
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports an unexpected shift in Apple’s silicon strategy: the baseline Apple M7 may be manufactured not at TSMC but at Intel Foundry. According to Kuo, the company is considering Intel’s 18AP process, expected to enter production in 2027, and the M7 could be the only Apple chip made on that node.
This lines up with earlier talk that both Apple and Nvidia explored potential collaborations with Intel Foundry for future products. Kuo adds that the more powerful M7 Pro and M7 Max would still be produced by TSMC, likely on N2P or A18, leaving the standard M7 as the sole manufacturing experiment.
If the forecast proves accurate, the Apple M7 would be the company’s first chip to bypass TSMC entirely. It is expected to power future iPad and MacBook Air models and, possibly, next versions of the Vision Pro headset. It is too early to discuss performance—the real measure of Intel 18AP will become clearer after consumer products on Intel 18A arrive next year.
For Intel Foundry, this would represent a significant milestone. Securing a customer of Apple’s stature can reinforce industry confidence and pique the interest of other major players. The choice also reads as a measured trial for Apple and a credibility test for Intel’s foundry ambitions, rather than a wholesale supplier shake-up.