193: Is Apple DOWNGRADING the iPhone 18 Due to Memory Shortage?
From The MacRumors Show by The MacRumors Show
May 8, 2026 · 43 min · Episode 193
About this episode
This episode discusses how a global memory shortage is impacting Apple's product configurations and pricing strategies.
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show , we talk through how the global memory shortage is forcing Apple's hand across multiple key products, killing configurations, delaying launches, and prompting spec decisions that would have seemed unlikely a year ago. The pressure originates outside Apple's control. JPMorgan analysis cited by the Financial Times found that memory could account for as much as 45% of an iPhone's component costs by 2027 , up from around 10% today. Companies like Nvidia are reportedly outbidding consumer electronics makers for limited DRAM supply from Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, while cloud firms are locking in capacity with multi-billion-dollar upfront commitments. Apple, which buys memory for roughly 250 million iPhones per year, has shifted from a position where it could dictate terms to one where it must compete for supply, and component prices are being driven up as a result. The consequences are already visible in the Mac lineup. Apple last week removed the Mac mini's 256GB storage option , pushing its starting price from $599 to $799. Days later, it eliminated Mac mini models with 32GB and 64GB of RAM and stripped the M3 Ultra Mac Studio to a…
People in this episode
Host: The MacRumors Show
Topics covered
- memory shortage
- Apple products
- component costs
- iPhone configurations
- market competition
- cloud firms
- product delays
Keywords
- Apple
- iPhone 18
- memory shortage
- component costs
- Mac mini
- Nvidia
- DRAM supply
- product delays
- JPMorgan
- Financial Times
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Apple, JPMorgan, Financial Times, Nvidia, Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron
Products: iPhone, Mac mini, M3 Ultra Mac Studio, Mac Studio
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