Broadcom and Apple extend custom silicon pact to 2031

Broadcom has signed a deal to provide Apple with custom chips until 2031. The chips and code shop has supplied Apple with silicon since the late 2000s when its wireless products found a home in early iPhone models. Broadcom's silicon has found its way into iThings ever since. Broadcom's announcement of its extended relationship with Cupertino is brief, stating only that the two companies have agreed to expand their long-standing technology collaboration through 2031 by entering into new multi-year long-term agreements for Broadcom to develop and supply a range of custom ASIC silicon products for use in multiple generations of Apple products." In the last couple of years, Broadcom has built a substantial custom AI accelerator business and has told investors it has six customers for those products. Four companies - Google, Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic - have gone on the record as working with Broadcom on such chips. Pundits speculating about the identity of the other two accelerator buyers have sometimes suggested Apple could be one of the mystery customers. The reference to multiple generations of Apple products" in this announcement does little to support that theory, especially as Broadcom CEO Hock Tan has said buyers of the company's AI chips tend to be developers of frontier AI models. Another factor suggesting that this extended Apple deal isn't AI-related is that Broadcom makes plenty of components Apple needs, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chipsets, touchscreen controllers, and ASICs for inductive charging. Indeed, teardown artists iFixit recently found at least four Broadcom chips in 2025's iPhone Air model - including radios and a charging chip. Broadcom also boasts about its prowess developing such products in close collaboration with major customers. Our direct sales force focuses on supporting our large OEM customers," states Broadcom's most recent annual report. Many of our major customer relationships have been in place for many years and are often the result of years of collaborative product development. This has enabled us to build our extensive IP portfolio and develop critical expertise regarding our customers' requirements, including substantial system-level knowledge. This collaboration has provided us with key insights into our customers' businesses and has enabled us to be more efficient and productive and to better serve our target markets and customers." Which rather sounds like Broadcom has become a trusted supplier to its customers - an important requirement for the famously-secretive Apple. (R)