CNBC reported on October 12, 2026, that Morgan Stanley channel checks pointed to soft demand for iPhone 18 models. A separate report concerns October component orders for iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, giving readers two distinct indicators rather than a single sales measure.
What Morgan Stanley’s channel checks indicated
CNBC’s Squawk on the Street segment featured Erik Woodring, Morgan Stanley’s head of U.S. tech hardware research, and described the channel checks as signaling soft demand for iPhone 18 models. The signal covers the product family broadly; the segment’s headline does not offer a model-by-model result. CNBC’s October 12 segment
A separate report on Pro-model component orders
Reuters reported on October 9 that Nikkei Asia said Apple had told some suppliers to reduce October component orders for iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max by at least 15% from Apple’s original requests. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the account. The reported percentage applies to component orders, a supply-chain measure distinct from completed consumer sales. Reuters also relayed Nikkei Asia’s suggestion that Apple’s changed launch schedule could be related to softer device demand from late August into October. Reuters’ report, republished by StreetInsider
NeoTeo previously covered reported delivery windows for iPhone 18 Pro orders in the U.S. and India. Those estimates concern when orders may arrive, a different indicator from channel checks and supplier component requests: the reported iPhone 18 Pro delivery delays.
