iPhone 18 Pro Production Cut: People Finally Said Enough

The iPhone 18 Pro production cut is the first hard sign that people have a limit. According to an exclusive report by Nikkei Asia, covered by Chance Miller at 9to5Mac, Apple has told select suppliers to cut component production for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max because of “soft demand”. Component orders for October are reportedly down “at least 15%” from what Apple originally requested.

I have an iPhone 17 Pro. I did not buy the iPhone 18 Pro, and I will tell you exactly why.

In this article: What the iPhone 18 Pro production cut report says · Why I skipped the iPhone 18 Pro · $100 more, same 12GB of RAM · The real problem: tiny upgrades sold with Siri AI · Delaying the base iPhone 18 was a mistake · One problem after another · Close to $2,000 for a phone · How often should you replace your iPhone? · Will the iPhone Duo have the same fate? · What Apple must change · FAQ

What the iPhone 18 Pro production cut report says

One executive-level source told Nikkei Asia: “In October alone, we are seeing orders from Apple reducing by 15% to 20% for both the premium models.” Apple has reportedly “turned more conservative on shipments since early September”, and it is not clear whether more cuts will come from November.

Suppliers blame the price. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at $1,299, both $100 more than last year, and Apple points to rising memory chip costs. Another supply chain manager said demand is “not as strong as previous years when all the new models are introduced all together”, because the base iPhone 18 is not coming until spring 2027. One source even expects a “similar fate for the iPhone Duo”.

Apple has not confirmed the report. We will see the first real numbers when Apple reports its fiscal Q4 results on November 6.

Why I skipped the iPhone 18 Pro

Yes, I have an iPhone 17 Pro. And I will say it this way: even people with an iPhone 15 Pro will not feel how much more powerful the iPhone 18 Pro is. It is really just about the fact that when a new iPhone comes out, everyone has to have it right away. Nobody looks at the fact that they are paying for a phone that is almost the same as last year. But Apple does this normally. It did its maximum so that people whose phones still work fine after a year switch right away and buy the new model.

When I see how expensive it is, with the same RAM, I will not upgrade next year either. At least two more years. In my opinion, the new model is only for those who want to show they are cool with the latest phone. The phones are the same.

What I am afraid of right now is something else. If it is confirmed that demand is falling, I hope nobody in Cupertino says: enough, then we will not support your older gadgets for as long, because the new ones do not sell. Older devices always stop getting updates at some point, and I would not want Apple to speed that up.

$100 more, same 12GB of RAM

Please. In my opinion, the price increase is just more margin for Apple. Look at it: Apple’s margins were already huge last year. And still $100 more on one phone, with the same memory. It just shows Apple’s greed and how much it loves numbers. Profit at any price.

What fascinates me about companies that have done well for years is that they become so sure of themselves that they do whatever they want. They believe that whatever new iPhone they release, it will still be a hit and sell like crazy. But everything can turn against them. In my opinion, the last three years Apple has been far too arrogant and self-confident, thinking it is enough to change the color and that is it. They changed the color and the chip, which nobody even feels compared to last year’s model, and for that you pay $100 more. Honestly, it feels like they are treating us like fools.

The real problem: tiny upgrades sold with Siri AI

For me, the problem is not the price itself. iPhones were never cheap. The problem is the minor upgrade, and how marketing tried to reinvent the wheel with dumb Siri AI. This year Apple is pushing so hard on a technology that almost nobody will use like the normal AI models people are used to, and know how smart they are.

Siri will mostly be used for “find me a movie for tonight”, and that is probably where it ends. I am curious how many of you are waiting for Siri AI as a real AI assistant that helps you create 3D visualizations, edit video, or help you the way Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini help us. In my opinion, only a small group, and those are die-hard Apple fans who do not see how stupid this tool is right now. After two years they could not finish this feature so it works properly, or at least is a bit faster and more interesting. I tested it in my Siri app review.

And on top of that, they did not even make it easy to remove it on MacBooks and Mac mini, where it just takes up space that is already too expensive for us. That is why I wrote how to remove Apple Intelligence on Mac.

Delaying the base iPhone 18 was a mistake

Here we come to probably Apple’s biggest mistake, and to the new CEO, John Ternus, who in my opinion has mostly been doing PR since day one and acting like a monster at what he does. When he decided to tell us: no choice for you, you have to buy the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max, I think he was wrong.

Maybe in America it works, where people trade in this year’s iPhone, get a nice credit, and the new one costs them around $800. I believe that. And China, for some reason, made the iPhone 18 Pro number one. But outside of that, I think people all over the world will wait for the regular iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2, which will be cheaper, though I am not sure by how much. In my opinion, Apple’s whole trajectory and plan is slowly going under water. They give us new colors and expect us all to run and replace good, working iPhones, and they did not even give us a choice, only the most expensive models. This may be the first time they really got it badly wrong.

One problem after another

And then there is the nonsense with the Chinese market. How can a phone with so many issues become the leader there? Do people in China not read the news, or are the reviews written by someone in Cupertino? I do not believe that a phone which has had problem after problem since launch can lead a market. You can read about the China numbers in iPhone 18 Pro sales in China.

Let us start: when you drag icons around too fast, the whole display starts acting up and stops working, and you have to restart the phone. Then there is Face ID under the display, with tiny pixels over the camera, and nobody knows how that spot will look in a year or two. Then Face ID does not work with some non-transparent screen protectors. Then unlock with Apple Watch does not work, and people keep searching for guides. In my opinion, this year has been a mess.

Close to $2,000 for a phone

As I said, it is all about margin. I am curious what comes next. Really paying close to $2,000 for a phone is a massacre. I feel Apple has built a cult around its gadgets, and I use them myself. But this year I am mostly disappointed, because they really are not doing anything.

I feel like they rushed everything, had nothing new to show, and said: people will not figure it out anyway, everyone will buy these phones, so let us say everywhere that we have Siri AI, that it is artificial intelligence, because that is what sells now. Yes, it sells, but only what actually works sells. Not what is only marketing and later turns out to be useless.

How often should you replace your iPhone?

In my opinion, once every 4 to 5 years. But that is just my view. People choose for themselves when to upgrade and why. It is still the same phone, even after six years, that you use to chat and call. Many people buy one just to say: hey, I have the new iPhone and it is amazing, and next year they do the same.

Maybe some upgrade for the new cameras, but those are mostly bloggers who film all the time. I do not think anyone changes their iPhone for a new chip. Even if the new chip is talked about so nicely every year, it is PR that nobody with a two or three-year-old model actually feels. Believe me, nobody does very heavy work on an iPhone, and the apps are all optimized for iPhone anyway.

Will the iPhone Duo have the same fate?

Here I would say the price will be the first thing that scares people away. But we must also remember it is an iPhone after all. It may be that people are not buying the iPhone 18 Pro precisely because they are waiting for the Duo, and they said to themselves: the iPhone 18 is the same as last year, just with more bugs, and it is not that good.

We do not know how the first Duo will be, but in my opinion it will not have a direct wow effect, mainly because of the price. I expect it to be much more expensive than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and that is not funny anymore. For God’s sake, I would rather buy an iPad Pro, and it would be cheaper. But as I said, Apple is a cult of fans, and we do not know what can happen. Still, spending that kind of money on a phone headlessly is not rational, even if it is revolutionary and Apple’s first foldable form factor. See my iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro Max comparison.

What Apple must change

Everything, from the high prices to putting all models back together at launch, so people can choose the model they want, not have no choice. So please, Apple: from now on, it is not enough to change colors and nothing else in the phone four years in a row. With these prices, that will not work for you anymore. At the same time, I am glad this will probably force Apple to work harder and not just change a few details and release it as a new revolutionary iPhone.

Is this the start of problems for Apple, or just a blip? In my opinion, it really is the start of problems. But if it turns out to be true, they will finally start doing something, and they will see that a whole campaign built only on how to earn more, without doing more for it, does not work. So I am actually glad it is happening.

Featured photo: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

iPhone 18 Pro production cut: FAQ

Did Apple cut iPhone 18 Pro production?

According to Nikkei Asia, Apple told select suppliers to cut iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max component orders for October by at least 15%. Apple has not confirmed it.

Why is iPhone 18 Pro demand weak?

Suppliers blame the $100 price increase. The base iPhone 18 also does not launch until spring 2027.

How much does the iPhone 18 Pro cost?

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at $1,299.

How much RAM does the iPhone 18 Pro have?

12GB, the same as the previous Pro models.

When will we know real iPhone 18 Pro sales?

Apple reports its fiscal Q4 2026 results on November 6.

Sources: Nikkei Asia, 9to5Mac (Chance Miller), MacRumors, Reuters.

Our Take

Same RAM, a new color, Siri AI that barely works, and $100 more. People noticed.

In my opinion, this is the start of real problems for Apple, and maybe the wake-up call it needs.

Keep your iPhone longer. Apple has to earn the upgrade again.