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.
