Apple is trimming component orders. That is a major setback and it has sent analysts into a tailspin. However, JPMorgan has talked everyone off the ledge, so to speak. Recent reports out of China revealed stronger-than-expected iPhone 18 Pro sales vis a vis iPhone 17 Pro, yet Apple was reportedly pulling back on parts behind the scenes, a contradiction that had people reaching for the worst-case explanation.
JPMorgan says the iPhone 18 Pro models are actually outselling last year’s 17 Pro, and the production cut has nothing to do with people losing interest.
This kind of adjustment is fairly routine for Apple once the initial launch rush settles, according to JPMorgan. This year's timing has made it look more alarming than it is.
The answer is the split launch: the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max arrived in September, while the standard iPhone 18 isn’t due until early next year. With the usual best-seller missing from shelves, JPMorgan expects a 2% dip in iPhone revenue, and some buyers are simply holding off rather than switching to a Pro model.
Interestingly, the iPhone 17 Pro lineup is reportedly still moving well, even though it’s no longer listed on Apple.com.
Not every buyer was patient enough to wait, and that spillover appears to be nudging iPhone 18 Pro numbers above last year’s figures.
Meanwhile, Apple's bigger test arrives with the iPhone Duo, its first foldable. JPMorgan predicts it could sell around 8.5 million units before the year wraps up. That is a big cut from the global foldable market pie of anything between 20 and 27 million units this year.