Intel Turns to Apple for Help as Rival Nvidia Surges Ahead: Report

Intel has quietly approached Apple about a possible investment in the struggling chipmaker, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke with Bloomberg.

The discussions are said to be early and might not lead to a deal, but they highlight Intel’s push to bring in big-name partners as it tries to turn things around.

Bloomberg’s sources said Intel has also been in contact with other potential investors. The company recently secured a $5 billion US commitment from Nvidia and a $2 billion US investment from SoftBank, adding to the U.S. government’s unusual decision to take a roughly 10% stake in Intel earlier this year.

For Apple, any partnership would be symbolic rather than a signal of returning to Intel chips. The iPhone maker abandoned Intel processors in its Macs about five years ago in favour of its own custom Apple Silicon built by TSMC.

Analysts told Bloomberg it’s unlikely Apple would reverse that move, but simply being in talks with Apple gives Intel some added credibility in its comeback bid.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has been lining up investors while cutting jobs and delaying factory projects, as the company fights to recover from years of falling behind rivals like AMD and Nvidia. Even so, government backing and new partners have boosted confidence—Intel’s stock has climbed more than 50% since August and closed up 6% on the day after this rumoured news.