Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 and foldable models face potential delays amid a critical DRAM shortage, risking supply and launch momentum for the tech giant’s most ambitious cycle in years.
Apple is heading into its next iPhone cycle with a supply constraint that could shape both the pace of launch and the products available on day one. According to reporting cited by Tom’s Hardware and supply chain commentary attributed to Tim Culpan, roughly $1 billion worth of A20 Pro wafers are sitting unfinished at TSMC because the memory needed for final assembly has not arrived. The issue appears to be DRAM availability rather than a defect in the chips themselves.
The A20 Pro is expected to be Apple’s first processor built on TSMC’s N2 process and to use a new wafer-level multi-chip module, or WMCM, packaging method. In practical terms, the memory is integrated much earlier in the process than in previous iPhones, which should improve efficiency and thermal performance. PhoneArena said the design places the processor and DRAM side by side on the wafer, while also noting that the architecture may help with cooling. The trade-off is that the whole chain now depends on one more tightly coupled component arriving on time.
That dependence matters because the wider memory market remains strained. Tom’s Hardware reported that Apple still relies mainly on Micron, with additional supply from SK Hynix and Samsung, while long-term commitments from data centre customers are tightening availability. The company has also explored China’s CXMT as an alternative source, though a potential US ban on the supplier would complicate that option. MacRumors has separately reported that the broader memory crunch is already forcing Apple to consider changes to its iPhone 18 lineup, including the possibility of cutting the base 256GB model to control costs.
The timing is awkward because Apple is also preparing to introduce its first foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models. Earlier reports described trial assembly, hinge durability issues and later signs that engineering validation was moving more slowly than planned, although more recent leaks suggested those scaling problems had been resolved without a redesign. The foldable device is still expected to arrive in September with a book-style form factor, a screen close to 7.8 inches and a price above $2,000.
Even if Apple manages a clean announcement, the larger risk may be what happens afterwards. Tom’s Hardware reported that Apple is aiming for about 200 million units across the iPhone 18 family, after the iPhone 17 line shipped more than 245 million units in 2025. If memory remains tight, early supply may be sufficient for launch weekend but not for sustained demand. That would leave Apple exposed at exactly the moment it is introducing a more complex chip and a new product category at the same time.
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