Apple to Buy $1B NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 Servers

Recent market reports suggest that Apple is planning a $1 billion acquisition of NVIDIA's AI servers. However, according to a new analysis from Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, the significance of this purchase is being overestimated by some industry observers. Kuo argues that from a procurement standpoint, this acquisition holds limited relevance to Apple's broader AI strategy.

Analysts highlight that the scale of this purchase is relatively small for Apple, involving approximately 250 server racks equipped with 18,000 GPUs. By comparison, Meta's AI server procurement is aimed at supporting large language model (LLM) development, enhancing operational efficiency, and improving service effectiveness—objectives that are more aligned with Apple's approach. Meta is projected to acquire 1.3 million GPUs by 2025, around 70 times the scale of Apple's reported purchase, indicating that Apple's investment is insufficient to support any significant AI operations.

According to reports, Apple's acquisition focuses on NVIDIA's GB300 NVL72 servers, but mass shipments of this model are not expected until the second half of 2026. Additionally, Apple's suppliers include Dell and Supermicro, rather than primary assemblers of the GB300 NVL72, such as Foxconn and Quanta. This implies that Apple may not receive the servers until the second or third quarter of 2026 or even later.

Analysts conclude that, at least over the next year, this procurement is unlikely to provide Apple with any meaningful competitive advantage in the AI landscape.