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Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Macworld reports that Apple may face a critical DRAM chip shortage that could limit the initial availability of the iPhone 18 Pro at launch.
- Processor wafers are reportedly ready but are awaiting necessary memory modules, potentially causing supply constraints when the new models are expected to ship in late September.
- Shoppers interested in the iPhone 18 Pro or the high-end iPhone Ultra may need to act quickly, as limited stock and delayed shipping dates are possible.
Former Bloomberg correspondant and supply-chain expert Tim Culpan has bad news. A brief post on his Substack blog say that Apple isn’t immune to the RAM crunch that is affecting everyone right now. The company is scrambling to get DRAM modules from suppliers to the assembly plants for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra.
With less than two months before the phones ship out to consumers, production should be in full swing right now. But a shortage of DRAM chips means they’re not able to manufacture as many as they would like. It sounds like the iPhone 18 Pro may be in short supply when it first goes on sale. The iPhone Ultra, with a much higher price tag, is expected to have lower demand. It also may have a slightly later shipping date, giving a little more time for production to catch up.
He says processor wafers are “on the shelves awaiting packaging,” so if Apple can get the RAM it needs, it should be able to quickly get new iPhones on shelves.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra should be announced at a special event in the second week of September, and ship to consumers in late September or early October.
Author: Jason Cross, Senior Editor, Macworld
Jason has written about technology for more than 25 years – first in the gaming press, then focusing on enthusiast PCs and general technology. He enjoys learning how complicated technology works and explaining it in a way anyone can understand.
