Apple Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Component Orders on Softer Demand, Nikkei Reports; Shares Slip

SentiSense · Published Oct 9, 2026, 8:23 AM ET · Updated Oct 9, 2026, 1:43 PM ET

Apple has asked suppliers to cut October component orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max by at least 15%, according to Nikkei Asia, after a $100 price increase that Apple has tied to AI-driven memory chip costs. Apple shares fell more than 2.5% in early trading on Friday, though some analysts point to tight Pro Max availability and steady lead times as signs the demand picture is mixed.

Apple has asked some of its suppliers to cut production of iPhone 18 Pro components because demand has come in below expectations, Nikkei Asia reported on Friday, Oct. 9, citing its own sources. Component orders for October were cut by at least 15% compared with what Apple originally requested, according to the report, and Yahoo Finance, also citing Nikkei, put the reduction at roughly 15% to 20% versus initial estimates. Nikkei said Apple has been more cautious about shipments since early September as memory chip costs rose.

Price is the backdrop. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max start at $1,199 and $1,299, $100 more than the models they replace, and Apple has publicly blamed AI-driven memory chip costs for price increases across its lineup. Nikkei also linked the softer demand to Apple's new split launch schedule: the standard iPhone 18 is expected in spring 2027 alongside the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2, rather than arriving with the Pro models this fall.

AAPL declined more than 2.5% in early trade on Friday and was down 1.6% at $334.90 in early afternoon trading, according to SentiSense data. The demand read is contested. Gene Munster noted that lead times for the 18 Pro fell 31% while the Pro Max rose 1%, about in line with last year's iPhone 17 Pro lineup, and Apple analyst Neil Cybart posted that the iPhone 18 Pro Max could not be bought from Apple in New York City, with the 18 Pro also facing supply shortages. On the other side, Bernstein's Mark Newman said US Pro and Pro Max demand is down low single digits year over year, and Jefferies' Edison Lee called weak resale prices versus the iPhone 17 Pro models the clearest sign of softer demand, according to a ZeroHedge market wrap.

The open question is whether this is a mix problem or a volume problem. Tight Pro Max supply alongside shorter Pro lead times could point to buyers trading up, while a broad pullback would put more pressure on iPhone revenue as memory costs stay elevated. Supplier commentary in the coming weeks and Apple's next quarterly report should show which reading holds.