Apple Explores New Chip Partners Amidst Expanding AI Ecosystems — 2026-05-05#

Highlights#

Today’s news underscores a shifting landscape in both hardware manufacturing and artificial intelligence. Apple is reportedly exploring partnerships with Intel and Samsung to diversify its chip production away from a heavy reliance on TSMC, signaling an effort to mitigate geopolitical risks and ease supply bottlenecks. Meanwhile, the AI ecosystem is rapidly evolving, with OpenAI fast-tracking a dedicated AI smartphone and Apple preparing to let users choose third-party AI models like Claude or Gemini as defaults in the upcoming iOS 27.

Top Stories#

• Apple Eyes Intel and Samsung as Backup Chipmakers: Apple has held early-stage talks with Intel and Samsung to explore manufacturing processors in the U.S., a move intended to reduce its reliance on TSMC amid AI-driven supply constraints. While talks are preliminary and Apple harbors concerns about non-TSMC technology, securing alternative foundries would help Apple address the massive build-out of AI data centers that has impacted its supply chain. (MacRumors)
• iOS 27 to Support Third-Party AI Choices: In the upcoming iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 updates, Apple will allow users to set third-party AI services like Google’s Gemini or Anthropic’s Claude as the default for Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools and Image Playground. Through a new “Extensions” system, users can even assign distinct voices to these external models within Siri interactions. (9to5Mac)
• Apple to Pay $250M Over Delayed Siri Features: Apple has agreed to a $250 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of false advertising regarding the delayed “more personalized” Siri features promoted alongside the iPhone 16. Eligible iPhone 15 Pro and 16 series owners in the U.S. could receive between $25 and $95 per device, though Apple maintains it acted in good faith and is settling to avoid further litigation. (MacRumors)
• OpenAI Fast-Tracking AI Phone for 2027: According to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, OpenAI is accelerating the development of its first “AI agent phone” with mass production targeted for the first half of 2027. Partnering with MediaTek for processors and Luxshare for manufacturing, the device aims to deliver a context-aware interface that shifts the paradigm away from launching individual apps toward completing tasks natively. (9to5Mac)
• Maryland Lawmakers Press Apple Over Store Closure: Nine U.S. Congress members from Maryland sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook criticizing the decision to close the unionized Towson retail store in June. The lawmakers urged Apple to reconsider the closure or provide clear transfer options for employees, echoing union claims that the move—which does not offer guaranteed local transfers—represents a “cynical attempt to bust the union”. (MacRumors)
• Mac Studio and Mac Mini Suffer RAM Cuts: Ongoing global memory shortages tied to heavy AI server demand have forced Apple to silently remove higher RAM configurations for its desktop Macs. The M3 Ultra Mac Studio is now solely available in a 96GB configuration, and the M4 Pro Mac mini’s 64GB option has been eliminated, with CEO Tim Cook previously noting that it may take several months to reach a supply-demand balance. (MacRumors)

Articles Worth Reading#

ChatGPT Is Smarter, More Accurate, and Less Obsessed With Emojis After Upgrade (MacRumors) OpenAI has officially updated ChatGPT’s default model to GPT-5.5 Instant, delivering significant factual accuracy improvements and yielding 52.5% fewer hallucinations in high-stakes fields like medicine, law, and finance. This update strips away “gratuitous emojis” and unnecessary follow-up questions, resulting in tighter, more concise responses without sacrificing the chatbot’s core personality. Additionally, a new memory sourcing feature allows the model to draw context from past chats, files, and connected Gmail accounts to provide personalized responses.

watchOS 26.5 adds a colorful new Apple Watch face with these customization options (9to5Mac) Apple has introduced a highly customizable analog watch face, Pride Luminance, as part of the upcoming watchOS 26.5 update. The new face features a dynamic glass layer that rotates in unison with the minute hand and allows users to choose background colors derived from various Pride flags. Offering over 70 color options and the ability to combine up to 12 colors simultaneously, it provides unprecedented personalization, alongside support for up to four corner complications on compatible dial shapes.

Apple lashes out at ‘privacy-threatening’ Digital Markets Act (Macworld) Apple continues its public battle against the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), with the company’s VP of corporate law, Kyle Andeer, publicly describing the European Commission’s recent glowing review of the legislation’s first two years as a “self-serving defense”. Andeer expressed deep frustration with the new interoperability mandates, warning that they create vulnerabilities that threaten user privacy—such as hypothetically allowing third parties like Meta to access an iOS user’s Wi-Fi login details without permission. The tension highlights Apple’s ongoing friction with European regulators as the DMA continues to force the dismantling of its lucrative “walled garden” app ecosystem.