Shares across the mobile phone supply chain are trading lower this morning, with the sector facing renewed margin concerns despite Apple's highly anticipated product unveiling. Q Tech (01478) has fallen 3.83% to HK$5.53, while COWELL (01415) is down 2.86% at HK$23.80. BYD ELECTRONIC (00285) has dropped 2.73% to HK$24.22, and LENS (06613) is trading 1.87% lower at HK$23.16.

In the early hours of today, Apple proceeded with its autumn keynote under the theme "Surprise and Shine," officially introducing the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the company's first-ever foldable device, the iPhone Duo. However, the new lineup arrives with across-the-board price hikes, marking a notable shift in the tech giant's pricing strategy.

The iPhone 18 Pro series has seen substantial price increases compared to the previous iPhone 17 Pro generation. The top-tier 2TB iPhone 18 Pro Max now costs 3,500 yuan more than its predecessor, representing the steepest year-over-year price jump for the Pro lineup in recent history. Additionally, Apple's China website has simultaneously raised prices on four older models currently on sale.

The price adjustments are not limited to Apple. Earlier this month, several major smartphone brands had already revised their product pricing, with flagship models seeing increases ranging from several hundred to a thousand yuan, while entry-level devices also recorded modest hikes of around one hundred yuan.

Market research firm IDC's vice president Wang Jiping noted that global smartphone average selling prices (ASP) are projected to surge to $581 this year, a year-on-year spike of 27.6% — the industry's largest annual increase on record. This sharp ASP escalation is not being driven by robust demand but rather reflects passive price hikes forced by rising component and production costs, signaling that supply chain participants will continue to grapple with margin compression in the months ahead.