The iPhone Duo sold out within minutes of pre-orders opening on Friday, October 16. Apple’s US store went live at 8 a.m. ET, and most people who tried to order never got through.
Even customers who prepared their orders ahead of time using ‘Get Ready‘ struggled to secure a device. Refreshing the Apple Store at launch did little to help, and the limited launch-day inventory was quickly exhausted.
Delivery estimates moved fast, with new orders initially showing early December and slipping to January 25 for every configuration by midday. The October 23 launch-day delivery Apple offered when the store opened was no longer available.
Get Ready lets buyers save a configuration in advance so checkout takes a couple of taps. Even that was too slow for most customers on Friday morning.
Social media filled with complaints from buyers who could not reserve the phone for in-store pickup. Many of them had planned around launch day on October 23, and the store showed the iPhone Duo as backordered almost immediately.
Every iPhone Duo Configuration Is Backordered Until Late January
The iPhone Duo comes in star white and night sky, with four storage sizes. The 256GB model is the $1,999 entry point, or $83.29 a month over 24 months. Apple’s other prices are listed below.
- 512GB at $2,199, or $91.62 a month
- 1TB at $2,599, or $108.29 a month
- 2TB at $3,199, or $133.29 a month
The delivery date is the same for all four sizes, so storage no longer changes when the phone arrives. Trade-in credit runs up to $885 and carrier offers go as high as $1,200 after trade-in, but neither one moves the date.
Supply was always expected to run short, since Foxconn’s final assembly yield for the foldable was reportedly slightly above 60 percent as of mid-September. Apple was said to have added 30% to its orders in response, and it is putting the foldable in a big store showcase even though supply stays limited.
Some Apple Stores May Have iPhone Duo Stock on October 23
Launch day is Friday, October 23, and some Apple Stores could have the iPhone Duo for walk-in customers, though inventory is expected to be very tight.
Buyers who want store pickup will need to wait a little longer. Apple’s online store says to check back on Saturday, October 24 to reserve a pickup slot.
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