Apple and Intel strike chip manufacturing deal in major boost for Intel's foundry revival!

Apple and Intel have reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to manufacture some chips used in Apple devices, the Wall Street Journal reports. The specific products involved have not yet been disclosed, but the deal follows more than a year of negotiations between the two companies.

The agreement is a significant win for Intel's foundry business, which CEO Lip-Bu Tan has made central to his turnaround strategy for the struggling chipmaker. Landing Apple — one of the world's most demanding semiconductor customers — as a foundry client would signal that Intel's manufacturing ambitions are credible at the highest tier of the industry.

The deal also carries a geopolitical dimension: US officials have actively encouraged major tech companies to partner with Intel following the government's acquisition of a 10% stake in the chipmaker, framing domestic semiconductor capacity as a national…