Apple reportedly cuts iPhone 18 Pro orders after rising prices dampen demand

Apple has asked some of its suppliers to reduce production of iPhone 18 Pro components due to lower-than-expected demand, according to Nikkei Asia ($).

Citing its own sources, the report claims that Apple has been more cautious about shipments since early September due to the rising cost of memory chips, which has led to higher prices. Component orders for October would have been reduced by at least 15 percent from what was initially requested.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max start at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively, which is $100 more than the models they replace. Apple has publicly blamed recent price increases across its lineup on the costs of AI-based memory chips, leading to higher prices for MacBooks and iPads, as well as iPhone 16 and 17 models and other products.

Nikkei also said that the drop in demand between late August and October could be linked to Apple changing its iPhone launch schedule. Rather than announcing its latest flagship iPhone series all at once, as is typically the case, Apple is instead expected to launch the standard iPhone 18 in spring 2027, alongside the cheaper iPhone 18e and the ultra-thin iPhone Air 2, as part of a split launch strategy.

The iPhone 18 Pro models have 12 GB of RAM, the same working memory as last year’s iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Rumor has it that Apple initially planned to equip the iPhone 18 Pro line with 16GB of RAM, but it may have ultimately decided against it due to the higher cost.