Semiconductor analyst Tim Culpan says Apple is having trouble getting enough DRAM to finish production of the new iPhone models, and chip supplier TSMC has $1 billion worth of unpackaged processors waiting on memory chips.
What happened
Semiconductor analyst Tim Culpan says Apple is having trouble getting enough DRAM to finish production of the new iPhone models, and chip supplier TSMC has $1 billion worth of unpackaged processors waiting on memory chips.
Practical impact for readers
Apple and its assemblers think they can meet initial demand, but retail inventory could sell quickly, leading to prolonged delivery estimates. The chip backlog will delay main logic board assembly and final device assembly, which could impact production at Foxconn and other assemblers.
Details worth verifying
DRAM has been in short supply for months and has led to long wait times for the Mac Studio , Mac mini , and MacBook Air . Companies that make memory are prioritizing chips for AI data centers because those chips are more profitable, leaving little capacity available for manufacturing chips for consumer devices.
Who should act or wait
We've had ongoing rumors about manufacturing issues with the iPhone Ultra due to the complexity of the design, and supplies of the new foldable could be the most limited of the three iPhone models. Some reports suggest the foldable iPhone could be introduced in September and then launch later, in October or November, but others say it will be available at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
What is still unclear
The iPhone Ultra is going to cost as much as $2,500, but the novel form factor and Apple's new Apple Upgrade pricing option could lead to more people being willing to shell out for the device. Apple is also expected to raise prices for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and analysts believe the devices could be up to $300 more expensive because Apple is paying more for RAM.
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