Leaker: Apple Downgrading iPhone 18 to Cut Costs

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Give him a chance, maybe two to three years, and see what happens.

I've given him three hours, i have seen enough.

 

[SpotOnT]

They can just stop making the 17. If there's no supplies of the 17, then no one can buy them.

Anything is possible.

That would be a rather unusual move by Apple though, breaking over a decade precedent.

 

[Digitalguy]

Pretty obvious Apple doesn't want to increase the price from $799. This is like Neo, Apple won't increase from $599 and would rather cut the specs.

Probably things like:

• Keeping LPDDR5X-8533 instead of moving to 9600.
• More A20 cores disabled to further improve yield.
• Slower or same as 18e NAND speed.
• If you look at the Neo chassis under a microscope, the surface is rougher than Air. Apple could apply the same finishing standard to iPhone 18.
• Shorter USB-C cable (0.8m)

previous rumors said A20 would get 12GB RAM too, now it's clear that A20 will stay at 8GB

 

[code-m]

I'm wondering the same thing. If they're both released a year from now, I suppose the meaningful differentiators are the screen refresh rate, dynamic island, and the price. Is that worth $200? Not so sure about that.

18e will probably gain DI but stay 60Hz refresh. 18 may keep the same size DI or receive the smaller one, chip upgrade and probably nothing else. Air 2 will either gain another camera on the rear if possible and a second speaker along with a chip upgrade.

18 Pro and Ultra will get most of the big upgrades.

Later on the “e” line and regular iPhone line will either merge or the “e” line will be discontinued as it seems to be a stop gap of sorts to squeeze extra sales with matured manufacturing processes and hardware.

 

[code-m]

Completely agree with you. If the Air 2 does not release in September but 6months later, it went from having some chance of success to none at all.

Me being an example. Very interested in an Air 2 if add another camera, and maybe speaker, but if its coming 6month after the Pro Lineup, no chance of me waiting for it.

There will hardly be any wind left in the iPhone Sails/Sale after the Pro and Ultra are released. Then you have Air 2 competing with 18e and 18 which are at a lower price point. This does not bode well for Air 2.

 

[code-m]

Ternus out 😡

These decisions were probably made by Tim not John.

 

[code-m]

That’s true I mean why not just cancel the e or merge it? I guess only thing is price. For people who like yearly upgrades the Pro looks the only option now sadly

I am wondering if a future lineup will be 18 (entry model), Air 2 (regular), Pro (Pro), Ultra (iPhone and iPad hybrid).

 

[eifelbube]

What else would all the spec hunters and spec obsessed do on MacRumors?
The world as we know it is coming to an end and Apple is doomed ... 😱 🙄

Except for posts #23 and #59, there have not been any comments yet, 7+ hours later, saying that Apple is doomed. What’s wrong with comparing specs, even if they are only rumored? At least it reflects an effort to construct an informed opinion.

 

[mwhite]

Thank God I bought an iPhone 17 at the end of February. I wonder if iPhone 17 phones will sell out? When the 18 goes on sale, will they remove the 17 from the market? And how does this bode for other products?

 

[frownface]

I think that we are not the target audience and many people won't know if it has 1 fewer cores than it might have or slightly different Nits, or if they keep LPDDR5X-8533. Most people won't care about a lot of this. Certainly those of us here do.
🙂

That's very much the case for the vast majority of apple users. They don't really care if something actually is objectively better or not, they just get told "this is the iphone 18, that's 1 more than the iphone 17, and 4 more than the old iphone 13 you're still using; so upgrade today!" and they do.

Apple isnt even alone in this; samsung and google are no different.

While people on this forum might be aware of the changes, and we may feign outrage; by the time we get around to upgrading our phones i'd be very surprised if anyone listed "improved ram architecture" as our primary driver for the upgrade.

 

[cats1299]

If only they shrunk it!

Ironically I would be willing to pay at least triple for a new mini at this point.

 

[code-m]

That's very much the case for the vast majority of apple users. They don't really care if something actually is objectively better or not, they just get told "this is the iphone 18, that's 1 more than the iphone 17, and 4 more than the old iphone 13 you're still using; so upgrade today!" and they do.

Apple isnt even alone in this; samsung and google are no different.

While people on this forum might be aware of the changes, and we may feign outrage; by the time we get around to upgrading our phones i'd be very surprised if anyone listed "improved ram architecture" as our primary driver for the upgrade.

The general public and Apple customer for iPhone on mass are not techies as long as the product gets the job done what their are seeking and is priced within their budget or upgrade credit then it will be purchased. Nothing more and nothing less.

When the Pro models are released with carrier subsidies the 6 month later 18e/18/Air 2 is going to have a hard sell unless discounts are significant. Maybe in this regard it pays to wait.

 

[Dark_Omen]

Take the iPhone Air... Make it $899 and the base level phone.
Then iPhone Pro 512GB for $1,200
Then iPhone Pro Max 512 GB for $1,400.
Then iPhone Fold 512 GB for $2,200.

 

[marte91]

So what will be the difference between the 18 and 18e ?

There will be no 18e.

 

[svish]

Possible since Apple's latest and greatest will all launch together in September. It will help Apple to reduce costs and probably help to keep the entry prices same.

 

[krspkbl]

If only they shrunk it!

they tried that and nobody liked it.

 

[Win$ton l]

i’ve said this many times… with the HomePod. Less microphones and speakers, downgrading to wifi 5 chipsets.

Macbook Pros come with microscratches in the screens and smaller heatsink compared to M1.

Charging cracking noises when charging on the newest iPhones 17 Pros because they save on shielding.

Now they are reporting it finally justice.

Ha ha I’ve experienced NONE of that

 

[Hyperchaotic]

Safe to assume many and I mean MANY folks will hold out upgrading.

My iPhone 13 is still like new, though it's time to go get a new battery.