Some Apple Store employees have been told to steer shoppers away from walking in to buy an iPhone Duo on launch day. The advice is that there will likely be no stock for walk-in customers on Friday, October 23, so anyone without a pre-order should not count on leaving with one.
Store staff told MacRumors that they have been asked to discourage customers without pre-orders from turning up, and to warn them they will be disappointed. It is not clear how many stores received the guidance or whether it applies outside the United States. Apple has not said publicly whether any location will hold iPhone Duo units for walk-ins.
Store Pickup Stays Off Until at Least October 24
Pickup reservations were available for a short time when pre-orders opened on Friday, October 16, before Apple switched the option off. The online store now tells customers to check back on Saturday, October 24 for pickup availability, which does not promise stock on that day. If the guidance holds, it closes off a route for anyone hoping to skip the online wait.
Apple Reportedly Has Demo Units Ready for Hands-On Time
Stores are still expected to put the iPhone Duo on display, even if they have none to sell. Apple has reportedly planned more than 150 demo units for Apple Fifth Avenue in New York City and nearly 100 for the Apple Park Visitor Center, with roughly 30 to 40 each at Michigan Avenue in Chicago, The Grove in Los Angeles and the Upper West Side in Manhattan, and about 20 at other stores. Stores are also getting a new MagSafe stand that holds an unfolded iPhone Duo beside two standard iPhones, though hands-on time will be harder to get outside the flagships.
Every New Online Order Now Shows a January 25 Delivery Estimate
Within 30 minutes of pre-orders opening, every configuration in the US online store showed a January 25 delivery estimate. Customers who ordered first still got October 23, but estimates moved past launch day within minutes.
Apple has described demand as “nothing short of extraordinary” and says it is working to get devices to customers as quickly as possible. Supply was expected to run short well before pre-orders opened, and Apple was reported to have assembled enough inventory for an October 23 launch.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the United States for the 256GB model. The 512GB model costs $2,199, the 1TB model costs $2,599 and the 2TB model costs $3,199. It has a 7.6-inch folding display and a 5.4-inch outer display, and it comes in night sky and star white.
