Apple: JPM says delivery lead times for iPhone 18 line down from last year

Early delivery lead times for Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are tracking lower than last year's iPhone 17 launch, according to research from JPMorgan. Tracking across key markets including the United States, China, Germany, and the United Kingdom during the first week of pre-orders, global home-delivery lead times averaged 7 days for the 18 Pro and 19 days for the 18 Pro Max, down from 15 and 24 days respectively for the prior generation. The decline in lead times was particularly sharp in China, which represents roughly 19% of iPhone shipments, where delivery times fell to 13 and 21 days compared to 30 days for both iPhone 17 models. JPMorgan analysts suggested the drop could indicate consumers are holding off on purchases in anticipation of Apple's upcoming foldable device, dubbed Duo, which is expected to see strong adoption in China's mature foldable market. However, JPMorgan cautioned investors against drawing definitive conclusions solely from early delivery timing. The analysts emphasized that initial supply allocations and shipping logistics may differ significantly from previous product cycles, noting that ongoing monitoring of delivery trajectories will be necessary to gauge true underlying demand.