Apple Reportedly Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Component Orders by at Least 15% on Softer Demand

Apple has cut component orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max because demand is softer than expected, Nikkei Asia reported on Friday, October 9, citing unnamed sources. Apple has not commented, and Reuters, which picked up the story, could not independently verify it (Northeast Times, AI Weekly).

What the report says

Apple reportedly asked selected suppliers to reduce October component orders for the two Pro models by at least 15 percent compared with its original requests, and one executive-level source put the cut at 15 to 20 percent for both models. Some outlets described it as "up to" 15 percent, so whether 15 percent is a floor or a ceiling varies by account. The effect differs between suppliers because they have different lead times, and it is unclear whether Apple will make further changes from November.

The reasons given

Nikkei's sources point to price and to Apple's split launch: the Pro models arrived in September, but there is no standard iPhone 18 this year, with that model and an updated iPhone Air expected in early 2027. A supply chain manager said second-half demand is weaker than in past years, probably because there is no baseline iPhone 18 alongside the Pros. Forbes calls the iPhone 18 Pro a more iterative update, with a faster chip and better main camera; that is its characterisation, not Apple's.

Memory costs in the background

In June, Tim Cook, now executive chairman, said price rises were unavoidable because of soaring chip costs: "We're doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us." Apple raised Mac and iPad prices later that month. The same memory shortage is lifting costs across the industry, from Samsung's record profit to falling PC shipments.

The market reaction

Apple shares fell more than 1.6 percent in premarket trading on October 9, to $334.89, though the stock was still up nearly 8 percent since the iPhone event in September.

Reasons for caution

Apple does not disclose unit sales by model, there is no sell-through data, and the information comes from one Nikkei report relying on anonymous sources. Lower demand is one of several possible explanations alongside product mix, the staggered launch and cost pressure. Nikkei itself notes that because the Pro models cost more, lower unit demand will not immediately mean lower revenue. Other reports say demand in China is stronger than for the iPhone 17 models, and Macworld points out that reports of iPhone production cuts appear almost every year as Apple adjusts orders to demand.

It is not known whether the cuts affect the iPhone Duo, a separate product that sold out at launch.

What to watch next

Reports on November supplier orders, any Apple comment, and Apple's next earnings.

Related on Gadgets365

• iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are official: A20 Pro chip and a $100 price hike
• iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders start slow as an analyst calls demand "lukewarm"
• iPhone Duo pre-orders sell out in minutes