A new report says that Intel executives are shortly to visit chip company TSMC, specifically to discuss the company's production capacity for 3nm processors but if Intel gets what it wants it would mean that TSMC would have to divert capacity away from Apple.

According to Digitimes high-level executives of Intel will pay a visit to Taiwan in mid-December. Earlier reports said that Intel was considering the outsourcing, but still hoped to improve its own manufacturing capabilities.

The Tame Apple Press claims that the meeting is to help Intel "avoid fighting with Apple" for manufacturing capacity. Presumably, this is about scheduling the runs, so TSMC won't be trying to crank out Intel processors at the same time it is producing chips for a future iPhone.

No one is clear how that will be possible without one side offering TSMC more money. The outfit has just started the next stage of pilot production of 3nm processors for Apple. Devices using the chips are not expected until early 2023, which is likely to be the earliest that Intel could see production too.

The Tame Apple Press insists that Digitimes has a poor track record as it pertains to Apple's future plans presumably because it does not print free adverts for vapourware like it does. However, it does not point out that Digitime’s reports on Intel or Apple’s suppliers are usually pretty good.