Apple has instructed suppliers to reduce production of parts for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max after rising memory-chip prices and softer demand affected the models, Nikkei Asia reported.
According to several people familiar with the matter cited by the newspaper, Apple became more cautious about its shipment plans in September and cut October component orders by at least 15 percent compared with its original plans. The company did not respond to requests for comment, the report said.
The pullback is linked to supply pressure caused by the artificial intelligence industry: technology firms are competing to reserve advanced chip manufacturing capacity and memory chips for AI data centers, creating a global component shortage and significant price increases. That dynamic has constrained not only smartphones but also the PC market this year.
In June, Apple raised prices on its iPad and MacBook ranges, citing the inability to absorb higher memory and storage chip costs. For the iPhone lineup, the iPhone 18 Pro carries a starting price of $1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299 — roughly a $100 increase per model compared with the previous generation.
Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 models and its first foldable phone, the Duo, last month. Nikkei noted that weaker demand observed from late August through October can be partly explained by Apple having adjusted the market introduction schedule for iPhone models, which complicates assessing whether sales figures reflect a true drop in consumer demand or calendar effects.
The Nikkei Asia report is the basis for these details; Apple had not provided a public response according to the report. How the company and suppliers adjust going forward will depend in part on how AI-driven chip demand and manufacturing capacity evolve.
Key facts
- Source: Nikkei Asia.
- September: Apple adopted more cautious shipment planning.
- October: component orders reduced by at least 15% versus original plans.
- iPhone 18 Pro starting price: $1,199; iPhone 18 Pro Max: $1,299 (about $100 increase per model).
- June: Apple raised iPad and MacBook prices due to higher memory and storage chip costs.
(Information based on the Nikkei Asia report; Apple did not provide a comment to the outlet.)
