Apple says demand for its first foldable iPhone has been “nothing short of extraordinary”, with pre-orders selling out rapidly and delivery dates pushed into January.
Apple has been caught off guard by demand for the new iPhone Duo, with the company’s first foldable iPhone selling out almost immediately after pre-orders opened.
The iPhone Duo, Apple’s most dramatic redesign of its flagship smartphone since its launch almost 20 years ago, became available to pre-order last Friday (16.10.26).
Customers who waited as little as half an hour were reportedly told they would not receive their devices until January.
Apple said it was working to increase supplies of the new handset.
Apple told the Financial Times: “The pre-order demand for iPhone Duo, our first foldable iPhone, has been nothing short of extraordinary.
“We are working hard to get this revolutionary new product into customers’ hands as quickly as possible.”
Apple’s website is currently showing delivery dates in late January for customers in both the UK and US.
However, the company has previously tended to give conservative delivery estimates, meaning some orders could arrive earlier.
The scale of the initial sales is unclear, as Apple has not said how many iPhone Duo handsets it produced ahead of launch or how many were sold during the pre-order rush.
Supply constraints had been expected because of the complexity of manufacturing a folding smartphone.
The iPhone Duo represents a significant technical departure from Apple’s conventional designs and is likely to require more intricate production processes.
MacRumors has also reported that Apple retail employees have been instructed to discourage customers from visiting stores in the hope of buying the device when it officially launches this Friday (23.10.26).
There may be little or no stock available for customers who did not pre-order, according to the report.
That marks a contrast with the early days of the iPhone, when major launches regularly attracted huge queues outside Apple Stores, with some customers camping overnight.
Apple has increasingly encouraged shoppers to pre-order instead, even when they plan to collect their devices from a store.
The company’s latest standard smartphones have not faced the same supply problems.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, launched alongside the Duo in September, remain available for immediate delivery.
The strong response gives Apple an early boost as it enters the foldable phone market, where rivals have spent years developing devices with flexible displays.
For Apple, however, the immediate challenge is turning extraordinary interest into enough handsets to meet demand.
Apple stunned by ‘extraordinary’ demand for iPhone Duo
