iPhone 18 Pro and Foldable iPhone Could Sell Out Fast Due to Memory Shortage

[MacRumors]

The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable "iPhone Ultra" could be in short supply this year, leading to long wait times and an initial sellout during preorders.

Semiconductor analyst Tim Culpan says Apple is having trouble getting enough DRAM to finish production of the new iPhone models, and chip supplier TSMC has $1 billion worth of unpackaged processors waiting on memory chips.

Apple's new A20 Pro chips are built on TSMC's 2nm process and use Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module packaging to integrate the processor and DRAM at the wafer level. Unfortunately, that means TSMC needs to have the DRAM on hand for assembly, and it can't be added at a later step. Apple is not able to stockpile finished dies and then add DRAM when it becomes available.

Apple and its assemblers think they can meet initial demand, but retail inventory could sell quickly, leading to prolonged delivery estimates. The chip backlog will delay main logic board assembly and final device assembly, which could impact production at Foxconn and other assemblers.

DRAM has been in short supply for months and has led to long wait times for the Mac Studio, Mac mini, and MacBook Air. Companies that make memory are prioritizing chips for AI data centers because those chips are more profitable, leaving little capacity available for manufacturing chips for consumer devices.

We've had ongoing rumors about manufacturing issues with the iPhone Ultra due to the complexity of the design, and supplies of the new foldable could be the most limited of the three iPhone models. Some reports suggest the foldable iPhone could be introduced in September and then launch later, in October or November, but others say it will be available at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

The iPhone Ultra is going to cost as much as $2,500, but the novel form factor and Apple's new Apple Upgrade pricing option could lead to more people being willing to shell out for the device. Apple is also expected to raise prices for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and analysts believe the devices could be up to $300 more expensive because Apple is paying more for RAM.

Last year, the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max sold out during the preorder period, and shipping times extended into October. Along with potential production delays impacting supply, there will be no lower-cost iPhone 18 for people to choose this year, putting more pressure on iPhone 18 Pro supplies. Apple is not planning to launch the standard iPhone 18 until early 2027.

If you're looking to get one of the new iPhone models in September, it's a good idea to preorder right when the devices become available for purchase to have the best chance of getting one on launch day.

Article Link: iPhone 18 Pro and Foldable iPhone Could Sell Out Fast Due to Memory Shortage

 

[Andres Cantu]

The 18 Pro series is looking to be just as much of an "S" year upgrade as the 16 Pro series, but if anything, even worse since it's almost guaranteed to go up in price.

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

AI is the biggest abomination in the history of information technology 😭 I can’t even find a good deal on HDD’s
I wouldn’t be surprised if iPhone 20 is released but at a $1999 starting price next year at this point.
This year has been beyond lunacy.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

The 18 Pro series is looking to be just as much of an "S" year upgrade as the 16 Pro series, but if anything, even worse since it's almost guaranteed to go up in price.

But isn’t that every year at this point?
Even the majority of the modern updates one might call “big” are significantly smaller than the old “S” models of the iPhone.
The 3GS gave the iPhone its first processor bump, doubling the RAM, upping the camera from 2 megapixels to 3 megapixels, adding tap to focus, adding video recording capability, adding voice control, adding the first accessibility features, adding a compass, adding double the storage on both options, adding higher speed HSDPA 3G networking, and also received an extra two years of software support over the regular 3G.
Compared to pretty much any iPhone after the iPhone X, that’s a massive, massive upgrade.

 

[Macalway]

Maybe I could use AI to help with the preorder.

 

[Abydos]

show your dissatisfaction by not buying not kvetching - not a boycott per see but waiting for sanity to return

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

AI told me to skip this upgrade.

 

[Andres Cantu]

But isn’t that every year at this point?
Even the majority of the modern updates one might call “big” are significantly smaller than the old “S” models of the iPhone.
The 3GS gave the iPhone its first processor bump, doubling the RAM, upping the camera from 2 megapixels to 3 megapixels, adding tap to focus, adding video recording capability, adding voice control, adding the first accessibility features, adding a compass, adding double the storage on both options, adding higher speed HSDPA 3G networking, and also received an extra two years of software support over the regular 3G.
Compared to pretty much any iPhone after the iPhone X, that’s a massive, massive upgrade.

Not necessarily. As an example, the 13 Pro over the 12 Pro was a huge upgrade with the addition of Promotion, much better battery life, much better camera system, etc. It was a year where the iPhone got a big upgrade in display, battery life, and camera.

 

[ryguyMN]

Everyone boycott so there is enough inventory for me to upgrade my XS. 🤣

 

[IIGS User]

I hope y’all skip this year. I’m upgrading my 16PM on launch day and the fewer of you in the queue the better my chances.

 

[kiranmk2]

So not only will the Fold likely be $2,500, if you don't buy it straight away, it will likely be $3,000-4,000 from the scalpers...

 

[Palliser]

These are gonna be $2,499… and you’re gonna love it

 

[jb310]

I really hope this shortage is over by the time the iPhone XX comes out 🤞

 

[JoshuaBru]

Same hype pump every year approx 6 weeks before the keynote.

 

[EvilEvil]

It won't sell out. You'll be able to walk into any Apple store and pick one up every week after launch.

 

[JPack]

The problem is, analyst Tim Culpan isn't credible at all.

He claimed MacBook Neo used binned chips, when teardowns clearly showed it used freshly fabbed A18 Pro chips. Apple was supposedly overwhelmed by demand but somehow, Neo remains widely available today.

In all likelihood, this is another crying wolf claim.

 

[Dark_Omen]

The 18 Pro series is looking to be just as much of an "S" year upgrade as the 16 Pro series, but if anything, even worse since it's almost guaranteed to go up in price.

It's basically been an "S" series upgrade every year since the iPhone 12.

Apple could try to stop being so conservative for a change.

Put a higher-quality camera on it. 100x zoom would be nice.
Put a built-in privacy screen on it.
Put Apple Pencil support (although smaller and thinner) on it.
Increase the charging wattage to 80 watts.
Put a silicon-carbon battery in it -- increase the capacity to 7,000 mAh.
Put an under-screen fingerprint reader on it.
Remove the Dynamic Island and go with the hole punch design.

 

[JPack]

Keep in mind Apple bumped production orders for iPhone Ultra from 7-8 million to 10 million units for 2H'26.

You'd have to believe Apple is silly enough to have suppliers make empty shells without the SoC.

 

[CEmajr]

Looks like I’ll be preordering as soon as they go live this year. 18 Pro, hopefully with 2TB.

 

[dandyryan]

not buying this propaganda. they're playing on artificial scarcity to inflate demand and justify their $2,499 base price for a damn phone. makes sense since they need to recoup after the generational flops that were the vision pro and the iphone air.

 

[UliBaer]

How many "Preorder now as long as supply lasts" scam posts do we really need?! 🤦‍♂️

 

[triumvirate]

Gotta get these phones sold somehow, why not use FOMO and Klarna!

 

[thmsnt]

Sure Jan

 

[turbineseaplane]

That's two of the "better buy quickly because we might run out!" articles today.

Impressive.

 

[thadoggfather]

Because this will be the first iPhone under the John Ternus administration, I will pay anything for iPhone 18 Pro.
Even $3k for the base model.

With lucrative financing offers, make it 5.