New iPhone Could Be in Short Supply Even Before Sales Start — Apple Faces an Unexpected Problem

There’s just over a month to go until the official iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max unveiling, but early signs are already pointing to possible availability issues right after launch. According to 9to5Mac, citing an analyst note from Culpium, Apple is facing a shortage of DRAM memory, which is holding up the final assembly of its flagship models.

Production of the A20 Pro chip — which will power the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max — is going according to plan. This is Apple’s first processor built on TSMC’s N2 (2nm) process, and both volume and yield rates are looking healthy. But the silicon wafers with the chips are piling up in warehouses because there aren’t enough DRAM modules to move to the next stage. According to the source, TSMC currently has roughly $1 billion worth of Apple processors stockpiled, waiting for memory deliveries before final assembly can kick off and components can move down the supply chain.

Apple and its contract manufacturers are still confident they can meet initial demand, but internally there’s growing concern that online order lead times could start stretching almost as soon as pre-orders open, while retail store inventory might dry up noticeably faster than usual.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that this fall, according to multiple sources, Apple is skipping the base iPhone 18 launch for the first time. The entry-level model is reportedly being pushed to early 2027. The iPhone Air 2 also won’t be landing in September. That means buyers planning to upgrade right after the event will essentially have just two lines to choose from: the iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max and the significantly pricier iPhone Ultra. That’s almost guaranteed to funnel demand toward the Pro versions and put even more strain on already limited stockpiles.

In effect, the DRAM shortage has collided with Apple’s marketing shift toward its higher-end models. In previous years, a chunk of buyers would go for the base iPhones, easing pressure on the Pro lineup — but now that buffer is gone.

Will Apple manage to balance supply and demand at launch, or will the DRAM crunch and the absence of a base model lead to record wait times for this fall’s flagships? Drop your thoughts in the comments.