Apple Looking to Samsung and Intel for Chips Amid Shortages, Report Says


It may be the world’s largest consumer tech company, but even Apple sometimes has to look elsewhere when items on its shopping list are simply unavailable.

That seems to be the issue driving Apple to consider other semiconductor suppliers, including Samsung and Intel, as the ongoing chip shortage threatens the company’s supply chain, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

Apple designs system-on-a-chip processors that its main supplier, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, builds for many of its devices. But if TSMC can’t keep up amid global shortages caused by AI and data center demand, Apple might have to consider other options.

According to the report, Apple hasn’t yet placed any major orders, but has been in talks with Samsung and Intel, and executives have even visited a Samsung plant being built in Texas. It could walk away from potential deals with both chip suitors, especially if there are any technical problems involved with switching to silicon from other companies. 

Representatives for Apple, Samsung and Intel did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A representative for TSMC declined to comment.

Samsung last week announced a nearly 50-fold increase in its semiconductor revenue, driven by increased demand and increasingly tight global supplies.  

Apart from supply chain issues, Apple also has an incentive to shift some of its sourcing to companies producing chips in the US. Tech companies, including Apple, are under pressure from the Trump administration to move manufacturing operations or source parts from companies doing business in the US.

Apple previously moved some of the manufacturing or assembly of some Macs to the US. During a trade war last year that imposed tariffs on China, it shifted some of its component sourcing to countries such as India and Vietnam.





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Picking the right tire can make a difference in the handling of any car, but it’s particularly important for high-performance vehicles. Michelin offers a range of performance-focused tire models, with the Pilot Super Sport tires being one popular choice. The brand says that the tire is designed for cars from the likes of Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari, and should perform well both on the road and on the track. Of course, manufacturer claims don’t mean much if the tire doesn’t perform well in real-world testing, but drivers consistently agree that the Pilot Super Sport lives up to the billing.

Retail chain Tire Rack has been collecting data on customer satisfaction and real-world performance for almost three decades, so it’s a great place to start when evaluating how drivers rate any popular tire model. Its survey has collected a combined 12 million miles of reported data for the Michelin Pilot Super Sport, and the results look good for the well-known French brand. The tire model received an “Excellent” rating in four out of five survey categories, with treadwear achieving a “Good” rating. That’s enough to make the Pilot Super Sport one of the top-rated tires in the Max Performance Summer tire category.

Reviews for the tire on Michelin’s website are similarly positive, with the Pilot Super Sport achieving an average rating of 4.7 out of five stars from 446 reviews at the time of writing. A total of 95% of those reviewers said that they would recommend the tire.

Most buyers should be satisfied with the Pilot Super Sport tires

The positive reviews continue at Tyre Reviews, which gives the Pilot Super Sport tires a score of 9.5 out of ten based on mixed professional and user data. Its survey rates the tire’s dry grip especially highly, although its wet grip doesn’t score quite so well. In a separate comparison test, the outlet also noted that the Pilot Super Sport tires caused slightly more understeer in a BMW M2 than the closely related Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S model.

As well as receiving strong ratings for their performance, the tires should also be long-lasting. All variants of the tire are covered by Michelin’s standard six-year warranty, and variants with a Y speed rating also receive a 30,000-mile treadwear warranty. That falls far short of the longest treadwear warranties on the market, some of which can stretch to 80,000 miles or more, but it’s still a competitive figure for a performance-oriented tire.

All this data from drivers and from Michelin itself adds up to make the Pilot Super Sport tires a highly trusted option when it comes to maximum performance tires. Add in the fact that Michelin, as a brand, has the highest levels of overall customer satisfaction on the market, and it’s safe to conclude that the vast majority of Pilot Super Sport buyers will be happy with their purchase.





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