Apple Buys Former Semiconductor Plant in North San Jose for $18.2 Million

Apple has purchased additional real estate in North San Jose, this time snapping up a 70,000 square foot building at 3725 N. First Street, reports the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Apple paid $18.2 million for the building, which formerly served as a manufacturing facility for Maxim Integrated Products, a semiconductor company.

It is not known what Apple will do with the building, but a description of the real estate listing suggests it could be used for manufacturing or research and development. Analysts the Silicon Valley Business Journal spoke with believe it's likely to be used as research space for prototyping given its small size, and Apple said in a statement it is expanding into San Jose with office space and research and development facilities.

maximfacility

Asked for comment, Apple provided an emailed statement that reads: "As we continue to grow, we're planning to build R&D facilities and some additional office space in San Jose. The property isn't far from the future home of our new campus and we're looking forward to expanding our presence in the Bay Area."

In recent months, Apple has been purchasing large swathes of land around the Bay Area, primarily in North San Jose. Apple purchased a 296,000 square foot research and development building in May, it leased a 43-acre development site in August, and it leased a 202,000 square-foot office building in October. Much of the property may be turned into a massive 4.15 million square foot campus, according to talks Apple has had with San Jose city officials.

Apple has also purchased a 770,000 square foot campus in Sunnyvale and it has leased 76,000 square feet of office space in the popular South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood in San Francisco.

Popular Stories

apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...

Top Rated Comments

samcraig Avatar
130 months ago
2020: Apple completes its purchase of California. Forms its own country.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
130 months ago
Apple is sure buying up a lot of real estate for a doomed™ company.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JeffyTheQuik Avatar
130 months ago
Been in that fab. It is a small one, so R&D would be a good use of the plant, but the land on 1st Street would be worth a lot.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iCloudStrife Avatar
130 months ago
"When asked about its recent acquisition of Io, the fourth-largest moon of Jupiter, a representative of Apple was quoted as saying: 'Apple buys smaller celestial bodies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.'"
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Junipr Avatar
130 months ago
Appleonia?
Prince?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rocketman Avatar
130 months ago
Apple just paid $18.2 million for a small 70,000 square foot silicon chip fab, formerly owned by Samsung

http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/12/14/apple-buys-former-maxim-chip-fab-in-north-san-jose-neighboring-samsung-semiconductor-

I wonder why Samsung sell it.
They didn't. In the very article you quoted it says:

"Maxim closed the "X3" facility in July. It had originally acquired the plant from Samsung back in 1997. It sits next to a new 10-story building now under construction by Samsung Semiconductor, and is surrounded by buildings used by Cisco and a variety of other network and semiconductor firms."

Apple bought it from Maxim not Samsung.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)