Apple could be facing a major memory supply crunch ahead of iPhone 18 Pro launch, as reports suggest a global shortage of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chips is disrupting production and driving up component costs. The shortage has emerged as one of Apple's biggest supply chain challenges in years, fuelled by soaring demand for memory chips used in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, according to a latest Forbes report.
The report further mentions that cloud computing firms and AI chipmakers have been securing large volumes of DRAM, leaving smartphone manufacturers with tighter supplies and higher prices. Suppliers such as Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix are prioritising high-margin AI memory products over conventional DRAM used in smartphones, it added. Apple is finding it increasingly difficult to secure enough memory chips for its next-generation devices.
Although Apple has already secured billions of dollars' worth of A20 processors from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), a shortage of DRAM has reportedly slowed the final packaging of those chips for the iPhone 18 Pro, said the report. To ease the supply crunch, Apple is said to be seeking additional DRAM sources beyond its traditional suppliers-Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix. The iPhone maker is also allegedly in discussions with China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), as per the report.
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Industry reports indicate that the iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to feature 12GB of RAM to support more advanced Apple Intelligence features, increasing Apple's dependence on DRAM supplies.
Despite the supply constraints, Apple's manufacturing partners have already begun mass production of the iPhone 18 Pro ahead of its anticipated September launch. Foxconn has reportedly ramped up hiring to support assembly, suggesting Apple is working to minimise any disruption to the release schedule, according to the report.
The DRAM chip shortage, coupled with the higher memory requirements of the iPhone 18 Pro, has also pushed up production costs. Notably, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has forecast a price increase of $100 to $200 for the new iPhone models, citing the memory shortage and upgraded camera technology as key factors.
Apple's highly anticipated iPhone 18 Pro event is expected to be on September 9, according to a Forbes report. The official announcement is expected two weeks prior, on August 26.
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