News documentary series Axios on HBO recently put the spotlight on newly appointed Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and the show discussed a couple of topics regarding Intel’s current state including their manufacturing woes and their relationship interest with Apple.
Pat Gelsinger says it very sternly in this interview that he wants to win back every pieces of business he can, one of which is Apple who he commends for doing a good job with their in-house built silicon but comments that all they need to do is create something better and faster for Apple to win them back.
In another portion of the interview, Gelsinger cites previous CEOs for not being engineers. Regardless, the interview talks about Intel’s current aggressive expansion plan as part of the their IDM 2.0 philosophy while still creating their own product. Intel has already announced their roadmap until 2025 with sub-nanometer naming already coined with the the Angstrom unit where Intel plans to debut their 20A in the next 5 years.
Intel isn’t out yet with Apple as they are still the chip providers for some Mac models but with Apple already announcing their M1 Pro, they’re looking to cede further control over their product lines and completely go-inhouse with their fab needs being facilitated by TSMC. Intel is also looking to TSMC as a foundry partner as Intel restrategizes their manufacturing plans, buying services from other chipmakers for their own designs while building up their own facilities.
Intel and TSMC have both started construction of mega-factories in Arizona which looks to open in a couple of years and will provide the US with a more comfortable supply chain of silicon.
