Apple Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Orders After a $100 Price Hike: Is Premium Pricing Backfiring?

Update (October 2026): Apple has reportedly asked some suppliers to reduce orders for iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max components, just weeks after launch.

TL;DR

• What happened: A Reuters report citing Nikkei Asia says Apple has trimmed component orders for its two most expensive non-foldable iPhones. The Pro starts at $1,199 and the Pro Max at $1,299, a $100 increase on each model compared with last year.
• The verdict: This is a demand warning sign, not a disaster. But it shows that price hikes have a ceiling, even for Apple.
• Who it's for: Anyone in India planning to upgrade to a Pro iPhone this festive season, and anyone curious about the foldable iPhone Duo.

Why this matters now

Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 lineup at an event in New York on September 9. That was barely a month ago. Cutting component orders this early in a product cycle is the kind of signal analysts watch closely, because suppliers usually get these instructions when sell-through is weaker than planned.

The timing is awkward. Apple is about to launch its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo. Preorders open on October 16 and sales begin on October 23, with an expected starting price of $1,999. This is also a big moment for chief executive John Ternus, who took over on September 1. The Duo is his first major product bet in the top job, and investors want to see whether it can create fresh demand at the very top of the market.

So two stories collide here. The Pro models seem to be selling below plan, while Apple is about to ask buyers to spend even more on a foldable.

What exactly changed

The facts in the report are fairly narrow, so it's worth being precise about what we know and what we don't.

What we know:

• Apple asked some suppliers to reduce orders for iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max components (Reuters, citing Nikkei Asia).
• Pro pricing went up by $100 per model this year.
• A standard iPhone 18 has not been released yet. It is expected in the spring.
• Morgan Stanley kept a buy-equivalent rating on Apple but lowered its price target to $355 per share. It said lower-than-expected selling prices for the new iPhones and higher memory costs largely cancelled out small improvements in revenue estimates.
• Jefferies downgraded the stock to underperform in August. It cited supply chain checks suggesting Apple had cancelled plans for an all-glass iPhone because of low production yields.
• Apple shares were trading at around $329 in early October, down more than 4% from a 52-week high of $345.34 on September 22.

What we don't know: the size of the cuts, how long they will last, or whether Apple will shift capacity to other models. Apple hasn't commented on the report, so treat it as a supply chain signal rather than an official sales number.

The real squeeze: memory costs vs. selling prices

The interesting part of this story isn't the order cut. It's the pressure behind it.

Memory chips are getting more expensive. Apple has two options: absorb the cost and accept thinner margins, or pass it on to buyers. This year it largely chose to pass it on, with the $100 bump on both Pro models. The Morgan Stanley note suggests buyers aren't paying as much as Apple hoped on average, possibly because more people are picking lower storage tiers or cheaper models. As a result, the brokerage's earnings-per-share estimates for fiscal 2027 and 2028 stayed broadly unchanged even though revenue estimates improved.

Put simply, Apple raised prices to protect profits, and higher component costs ate most of the gain. Cancelling the all-glass iPhone matters for the same reason. Jefferies analyst Edison Lee had seen that device as a way to justify higher prices across the line-up. Without a dramatic new design, a price hike is harder to sell.

What it means for Indian buyers

The source report does not give Indian prices, availability dates or any India-specific sales figures, and we won't guess at them. A few practical points still follow from what we do know:

• Expect strong festive-season deals. If Pro demand is softer than Apple planned globally, retailers and card-linked offers usually work harder to move stock. Compare bank offers and exchange values before paying full price.
• The Duo will be expensive. At an expected $1,999 starting price in the US, the foldable sits well above the Pro Max. Indian pricing usually comes in higher than a straight currency conversion once taxes and duties are added, so budget accordingly and wait for the official Indian price.
• Students and freshers: a standard iPhone 18 is expected in the spring. If you mainly need a reliable phone rather than Pro cameras, waiting a few months is a reasonable option.
• Upgrading from a recent Pro? No exciting new design arrived this year (the all-glass model was reportedly cancelled), so the case for upgrading mainly comes down to battery life and the camera.

Pro vs. Pro Max vs. Duo: quick comparison

Mistakes and red flags to avoid

1. Treating an order cut as a "flop" headline. Supply chain adjustments happen every year. This one matters because of the price hike context, not because the phone has failed.
2. Buying the Duo on day one without hands-on reviews. It's Apple's first foldable. First-generation hardware often has issues that only show up after weeks of real use.
3. Converting US prices to rupees and assuming that's the Indian price. Wait for Apple India's official pricing.
4. Ignoring the standard model. If the regular iPhone 18 arrives in the spring as expected, it could be the better-value pick for most people.

FAQs

Is Apple cutting iPhone 18 Pro production? According to a Reuters report citing Nikkei Asia, Apple asked some suppliers to reduce component orders for the Pro and Pro Max. The exact volume was not disclosed.

Why did the iPhone 18 Pro get more expensive? The source links Apple's higher prices to rising memory costs and Apple's effort to protect profitability. Both Pro models went up by $100.

When does the iPhone Duo launch? Preorders open October 16 and sales begin October 23, with an expected starting price of $1,999 in the US.

Should I wait to buy? If you're flexible, festive offers and the expected spring launch of the standard iPhone 18 both reward patience. If you need a phone now, compare bank and exchange offers carefully.

So what do you think: has Apple finally found the price ceiling, or will the Duo prove that buyers will still pay more for something truly new?

Sources

• Mint: Apple cuts iPhone 18 Pro orders: Is its premium pricing backfiring? Here's what report reveals

Cover image: 5 different Smartphones by Kskhh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.