Apple’s next iPhone cycle faces a unique challenge as a shortage of memory components, rather than finished chips, risks delaying the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and foldable model amid global supply constraints and new packaging requirements.
Apple’s next iPhone cycle is facing an unusual supply risk: not a shortage of finished chips, but a squeeze on the memory needed to complete them. Tim Culpan, a semiconductor analyst, said Apple has a large stock of unfinished processors at TSMC waiting for DRAM, raising the prospect that the iPhone 18 Pro and the rumoured foldable model could arrive in tightly constrained quantities. The issue appears to be shaping up as a launch problem rather than a pure manufacturing one.
At the centre of the concern is the A20 Pro, which is expected to power Apple’s higher-end 2026 iPhones. Culpan said Apple is sourcing memory from Micron, SK Hynix and Samsung, but supply remains tight. He also said about $1 billion worth of Apple chips are sitting at TSMC in an incomplete state because the memory components they need have not yet arrived. Tom’s Hardware reported the same estimate and linked the delay to DRAM shortages affecting final packaging.
That bottleneck matters because Apple’s A20 Pro is expected to use TSMC’s N2 process together with Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module packaging, or WMCM, which integrates DRAM at the wafer stage. In practical terms, that means memory cannot simply be added later if it arrives late. TechRadar said this packaging shift was designed to support faster, lower-latency on-device AI functions, but it also makes Apple more exposed to global LPDDR5X shortages driven by demand from AI infrastructure. PhoneArena said Apple’s planned use of Chinese memory maker CXMT is not viable for this generation because of those packaging requirements.
The result could be a staggered iPhone launch. Reports have suggested the standard iPhone 18 may slip to spring 2027, while September is now expected to be reserved for the iPhone 18 Pro line and the foldable, which some reports call the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra. Tom’s Guide said Apple’s autumn event is still expected to showcase major upgrades, but the standard model’s delay would mark a break from Apple’s usual rollout pattern. The supply strain also appears to be spilling into pricing and inventory more broadly. MacRumors reported that Apple has warned of higher costs across its product range, while recent Mac models have already shown longer lead times and reduced configuration availability.
For the foldable, the shortage could be especially visible. Ming-Chi Kuo has said Apple may initially make only 500,000 to 1 million units by the end of September, suggesting a deliberately limited launch even before the memory constraints are taken into account. That would mean the first foldable iPhone, if it arrives this year, may be harder to buy than any recent flagship. If the A20 Pro memory issue persists, the iPhone 18 Pro could face a similar shortage effect at launch, with demand outpacing the number of complete devices Apple is able to ship.
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