Apple iPhone Duo Preorders Sell Out and Push Deliveries to January

iPhone Duo Preorders Sell Out and Push Deliveries to January

Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, saw estimated shipping dates slip to January within minutes of preorders opening, with the device commanding a starting price of $1,999 and climbing up to $3,199 for the top-tier configuration. The most unexpected detail of the rollout is that even customers who saved their preferred model in advance as Apple suggested still encountered delivery windows extending well into the new year.

The rapid exhaustion of initial stock highlights a familiar manufacturing challenge for high-end consumer hardware, yet the speed of the sellout suggests a formidable appetite for Apple’s entry into foldable devices. While skeptics might attribute the backlog solely to constrained production volumes rather than runaway consumer enthusiasm, the reality likely points to a combination of both pressures.

Hardware Specifications and Pricing Realities

The device opens from a compact 5.4-inch outer display into a 7.6-inch inner screen, making it the largest display screen ever fitted to an iPhone. CNET Senior Tech Reporter Abrar Al Heeti, who handled the device briefly ahead of preorders, described it as essentially a compact iPhone that can double as an iPad Mini, noting that It has a satisfying feel and really makes the crease virtually disappear when the screen is on.

Equipped with two 48-megapixel cameras comprising a main sensor and an ultrawide option, the Duo is tailored for multitasking with Apple Pencil support and drag-and-drop functionality akin to an iPad. This hardware sits across multiple storage configurations, ranging from the base 256GB model up to a 2TB variant. The fully loaded 2TB model costs $3,199, pushing foldable pricing into territory previously reserved for professional workstations.

The Manufacturing Bottleneck and Investor Response

Preorders began on Friday at 5 a.m. PT on Apple's website and the Apple Store app, with Eastern time orders opening at 8 a.m. US store data showed delivery dates shifting to January 25 for all models about half an hour after orders opened, affecting every color and storage option. Apple's retail stores also ran out of launch day stock almost as soon as preorders began, including at locations in New York according to Bloomberg, though the company usually holds back some phones for walk-in shoppers on launch day.

Apple did not disclose how many units it had to sell. That lack of transparency leaves open the question of whether the January backlog stems from unprecedented consumer demand or severely restricted initial supply. Even so, financial markets registered an immediate positive reaction to the launch activity, with Apple shares rising 1.8% before US markets opened on Friday, and Investing.com reporting a 2% gain in premarket trading.

The phone goes on sale on 23 October. Competitors including Samsung with the Galaxy Fold 8 and Galaxy Flip 8, alongside Google with the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, have already established footholds in a segment where Counterpoint Research expects Apple to sell about that foldables have so far been a niche part of the smartphone market.

That leaves prospective buyers weighing whether to join the backorder queue or wait for walk-in availability.

Customers hoping to bypass online shipping delays will have a second chance when the iPhone Duo officially goes on sale in physical stores on October 23, where retail stock availability will test whether walk-in shoppers can secure units ahead of the late-January delivery window.