Intel last week provided an update on its 14th-generation Meteor Lake processors due to launch next year, but it seems that there may have been a crucial change to the company’s plans.

Intel has said as recently as last week that it would fabricate the chips itself, using a 7nm process, but a supply-chain report today claims that the company will instead outsource the work to TSMC, so it can benefit from the same 5nm process used for Apple’s M1 chips …

Background

Apple was said to have grown increasingly frustrated at the timing of Mac launches being effectively dictated by Intel’s timeline for new CPUs. Additionally, multiple quality problems with intel’s Skylake chip in 2015 is reported to have been the final straw in Apple deciding to switch to its own processors.

Although Intel had known for years that the day was coming, it seemed to have its head in the sand when it came to its expectations of Apple Silicon. The company didn’t expect the first generation of Apple’s Mac chips to so dramatically out-perform its own offerings, and had no idea how to respond.

Indeed, Intel’s responses appear to have been generated by a Magic-8 ball. The company dismissively described Apple as ‘a lifestyle brand’; it mocked Apple in multiple ad campaigns; it decided it would make ARM chips; it said it could overtake Apple Silicon (a claim which lasted all of one day); then it said it could win back Apple business.

But while the company kept claiming it had the chipmaking chops to beat Apple-designed TSMC-fabbed ARM-based processors, it also kept toying with the idea of outsourcing some production to its Taiwanese rival. Indeed, some reports went as far as saying this has already been happening for well over a year now.

Enter Intel Meteor Lake chips

Intel first announced plans for its 14th-generation CPUs last year, branded