Apple reportedly went ahead with iPhone Duo pre-orders on Friday, October 16, even though it knew it did not have the supply to meet demand. The phone sold out within minutes, and new orders now show delivery dates in late January.
Mark Gurman laid out the claim in the latest edition of his “Power On” newsletter for Bloomberg. He wrote that Apple expected severe supply constraints and launched anyway, apparently to get the phone on sale early in its fiscal first quarter. He put it bluntly, saying “Apple made a major mistake here.”
Apple Opened iPhone Duo Pre-Orders in More Than 70 Countries at Once
According to Gurman, Apple first planned to launch the iPhone Duo in the United States and China only, then expand to other countries later. It changed course and opened pre-orders in more than 70 countries and regions on the same morning. Another 28 countries and regions are set to follow on October 30.
Customers who ordered the moment the store opened at 5 a.m. Pacific still got October 23. Within 30 minutes, every US configuration showed a January 25 delivery estimate, so storage size and color no longer changed the date.
Apple has described demand as “nothing short of extraordinary” and says it is working to get the phone to customers as quickly as it can. The company has not said how many units it had at launch. The October 23 launch date has not changed, and US pricing runs from $1,999 to $3,199 across four storage sizes.
- 256GB at $1,999
- 512GB at $2,199
- 1TB at $2,599
- 2TB at $3,199
The Production Problems Were Already Public Before Pre-Orders Opened
One supply chain report put Foxconn’s final assembly yield for the foldable only slightly above 60 percent in mid-September. Apple was said to have added 30% to its orders in response, and it had reportedly gathered enough inventory to keep the October launch.
Gurman says the early adopters most eager to buy the phone are the ones who lose out. Resellers are already cashing in, and a 2TB night sky model that Apple sells for $3,199 sold on eBay for $5,000.
Apple Stores Are Not Expected to Fix the Shortage on Launch Day
Some Apple Store employees have reportedly been told to warn customers without a pre-order not to turn up on October 23, since walk-in stock is expected to be minimal. Pickup reservations were switched off after pre-orders opened, and Apple’s online store tells customers to check back on Saturday, October 24.
Gurman’s newsletter also says the pre-order trouble could fuel iPhone 18 Pro sales. The iPhone Duo is still due to reach customers on Friday, October 23, with 28 more countries and regions joining the list on October 30.
(via Bloomberg)
