Apple has asked some of its suppliers to cut production of iPhone 18 Pro components due to lower-than-expected demand, according to Nikkei Asia ($).


Citing its own sources, the report claims that Apple has been more cautious about shipments since early September because of the rising cost of memory chips, leading to higher prices. Component orders for October were said to have been cut by at least 15 percent compared with what was originally requested.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max start at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively, which is $100 more than the models they replace. Apple has publicly blamed AI-driven memory chip costs for the recent price increases across its lineup, which has seen prices of MacBooks and iPads tick up, as well as for iPhone 16 and 17 models and other products.

Nikkei also said that softer demand between late August and October could be related to Apple changing its iPhone launch schedule. Rather than announcing its latest flagship iPhone series in one go, as it typically does, Apple is expected instead to release the regular iPhone 18 in the spring of 2027, alongside the lower-cost iPhone 18e and the ultra-thin iPhone Air 2, as part of a split launch strategy.

The iPhone 18 Pro models feature 12GB of RAM, which is the same working memory as last year's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. One rumor has it that Apple originally planned to equip the iPhone 18 Pro lineup with 16GB of RAM, but it may have ultimately decided against it due to the higher cost.
This article, "Apple Reportedly Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Orders After Price Hike Dampens Demand" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has reached an agreement to recruit employees from Huxe and license the AI audio startup's technology, according to a new European Commission filing.


The filing says Apple will have the right to make employment offers to certain Huxe employees and receive a non-exclusive license to the company's intellectual property, so this isn't an outright acquisition of the company.

Huxe was founded by former Google NotebookLM team members Raiza Martin, Jason Spielman, and Stephen Hughes. NotebookLM – since renamed Gemini Notebook – is Google's AI research tool, which is best known for its ability to turn documents and other source material into podcast-style audio discussions.

Huxe brought a similar approach to personalized listening, given that its app generated audio briefings based on users' emails, calendars, and interests, as well as podcasts about topics they wanted to explore. Listeners could interrupt the AI hosts to ask questions or request a different explanation.

The startup announced in May that it was winding down, and said its team was moving on and that development would stop. Its audio service ended on May 28. Apple notified the Commission of the arrangement on June 9.

The filing does not say which employees Apple could recruit, nor does it confirm whether anyone has actually been hired.
This article, "Apple Signs Hiring and Licensing Deal With AI Podcast Startup Huxe" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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