iPhone 18 Pro may sell out amid DRAM shortage

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and rumored foldable iPhone Ultra could sell out quickly at launch because the company is struggling to secure enough DRAM, according to MacRumors. The shortage could mean extended delivery estimates even if Apple and its assemblers meet initial demand.

The warning arrives as memory supply is already putting pressure on Apple’s hardware pipeline. We previously reported that MacBook Air supply is under pressure from the memory shortage, while Samsung expects the wider shortage to last through at least 2028.

Why the memory shortage affects iPhone production

Semiconductor analyst Tim Culpan says TSMC has about $1 billion worth of unpackaged processors waiting for memory chips. Apple’s new A20 Pro chips use TSMC’s 2nm process and Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module packaging, which integrates the processor and DRAM at the wafer level.

Recommended reading

T-Mobile ends the original iPhone’s last US network

That design creates a manufacturing bottleneck: TSMC needs the DRAM before assembly, and Apple cannot stockpile finished processor dies and add memory later. The backlog could delay main logic board production and final device assembly at Foxconn and other manufacturing partners.

Memory makers are prioritizing chips for AI data centers, where they are more profitable, leaving less capacity for consumer electronics. MacRumors says this has already contributed to long waits for the Mac Studio, Mac mini, and MacBook Air.

Foldable iPhone timing and price

The foldable iPhone could be the hardest model to obtain. Its complex design has already been linked to manufacturing concerns, and Apple is reportedly considering a price of up to $2,500. The company’s rumored Apple Upgrade pricing option could make that cost easier for some buyers to absorb.

Reports disagree on its launch schedule. Some suggest Apple will introduce the iPhone Ultra in September and release it in October or November, while others expect it to ship alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. That uncertainty also contrasts with an earlier supply-chain report that said the foldable had entered mass production and was still on track for September.

Apple is also expected to raise prices for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, with analysts estimating increases of up to $300 because of higher RAM costs. There will reportedly be no lower-cost iPhone 18 model this year; the standard version is not expected until early 2027, putting additional pressure on the Pro models.

9to5Mac’s August 6 report emphasized the same potential for limited iPhone 18 Pro availability but provided no additional production or pricing details. MacRumors additionally reported the DRAM packaging constraint, the $1 billion TSMC backlog, and the foldable’s possible pricing.

Last year, the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max sold out during preorders, with delivery estimates extending into October. The company may face a similar launch-day squeeze this year, but Apple has not confirmed the shortage, final prices, or release dates. Based on the reported component bottleneck and the absence of a cheaper iPhone 18, buyers who want a launch-day device may have little choice but to preorder immediately; the foldable’s $2,500 price makes its potential scarcity a supply problem, not a value win.