iPhone 18 Pro Orders Cut by Over 15% Amid Dual Pressure from Chip Costs and Demand
nashnova research
Apple has told suppliers to cut iPhone 18 Pro-series component orders by at least 15% for October, squeezed between surging memory-chip costs and softer-than-expected demand after a price hike — while the foldable iPhone Duo's prospects worry the supply chain too.
How deep are the cuts, and who's talking?
Nikkei Asia broke the story; Reuters confirmed it. Apple has notified some suppliers to reduce component orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
A senior executive with direct knowledge said: October orders alone were cut 15–20% for the two high-end models.
Because suppliers run on different production cycles, the cuts hit some — not all — October output. Whether Apple will adjust further from November is still unclear.
Why is demand falling short?
Both Pro models cost $100 more than their predecessors — iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, Pro Max at $1,299, on sale since September 18.
Multiple sources say demand from late August through October has been "weaker than prior years."
This means → the price hike is directly dampening upgrade appetite. UBS analysts flagged the same signal: delivery wait times are shortening across 30-plus markets. When supply is stable and waits still drop, the demand side is softening.
Apple changed its launch cadence — can we still compare?
Apple pushed the standard iPhone 18 and the new iPhone Air to next spring. In past years those two models added significant volume to the autumn launch window.
In plain terms = past autumns were a full-lineup rollout; this autumn only the Pro tier shipped. "Weaker year-on-year shipments" partly reflect the timing change, not purely a demand collapse.
A supply-chain manager noted the standard iPhone 18 won't need parts until year-end, ahead of an early-2027 launch.
Shipments are down — will Apple's revenue drop just as much?
Not proportionally — every model's price rose at least 10%, so per-unit revenue is higher and partially offsets the volume decline.
This means → Apple is trading "sell fewer" for "sell pricier." Near-term revenue takes a smaller hit than the shipment numbers suggest.
But if demand keeps weakening, the ceiling on the pricing strategy will surface fast.
The foldable iPhone Duo — what worries the supply chain?
Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, starts at $1,999 for the 256 GB base model, launching October 23 in 70 markets.
One person with direct knowledge was blunt: "That price is simply too expensive for a smartphone."
This reflects the supply chain's core fear — Pro-series demand softened after just a $100 hike; the Duo costs nearly twice as much as a Pro. Order cuts after launch look highly likely.
What's happening across the whole industry?
IDC forecasts global smartphone shipments will fall 16.7% year-on-year in 2026 — the steepest annual drop on record.
At the same time, average selling prices are up 27.6% versus last year — handset makers are passing chip and component cost inflation through to retail pricing.
In plain terms = the entire industry is stuck in a "raise prices to protect margins, watch volumes shrink" loop. Apple is not an outlier, but as the biggest player its order cuts send the loudest shockwave through the supply chain.
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