Yes, but only if Intel executes flawlessly. This is potentially transformational, but not automatically so.

Why this matters:

1. Validation effect

If Apple trusts Intel Foundry, every major chip designer will pay attention. Apple is arguably the hardest customer on process, yield, power efficiency, and supply reliability. Passing Apple’s bar is equivalent to a global seal of approval. 

2. Intel becomes more than a CPU company

The strategic shift is from:

> x86 chipmaker → advanced manufacturing platform

That puts Intel into competition with:

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company in foundry

Samsung Electronics in manufacturing scale

Nvidia / Advanced Micro Devices in ecosystem influence

3. Financial model improves massively

Apple volume means:

fab utilisation rises

fixed costs spread over larger wafer output

margins expand

foundry losses narrow sharply

That could fundamentally rerate Intel’s valuation multiple. 

But three risks remain:

Can Intel’s 18A/next-gen nodes match TSMC yields?

Can Intel scale reliably?

Will Apple give Intel meaningful high-end chip volume, or only secondary components?

My view:

If Intel successfully produces advanced Apple silicon at scale, this is Intel’s biggest strategic turning point in 20 years. It would no longer be viewed as a turnaround story, but as a credible second global advanced foundry powerhouse.

That is how competitive positioning gets redefined.