Apple has attributed the rapid sell-out of its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, to “nothing short of extraordinary” pre-order demand, according to Financial Times’ Michael Acton. Within hours of pre-orders opening on Friday, delivery estimates for the device slipped from an initial October 23 availability window into late January 2027 across configurations in the US and UK.
The iPhone Duo, unveiled last month by new chief executive John Ternus, represents the most significant redesign of Apple’s flagship phone since the original iPhone nearly two decades ago. When closed it offers a compact 5.4-inch outer display; unfolded, it reveals a 7.6-inch inner Super Retina XDR screen with a nano-texture finish intended to reduce glare and minimize the visible crease. It is powered by the same A20 Pro chip as the iPhone 18 Pro models, features dual batteries, and starts at $1,999 for the 256GB version — making it Apple’s most expensive iPhone to date, with higher storage options reaching roughly $3,200.
In a statement to the Financial Times, Apple said: “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.” The company continues to accept online orders, though US carriers have also reported delays. Reports indicate Apple retail staff were advised to discourage customers without reservations from seeking the device in stores on launch day, as unreserved stock was expected to be scarce.
The multi-month delay is unusual for Apple, which is known for tightly managed supply chains. Even during Covid-era disruptions in 2022, some iPhone 14 deliveries slipped by little more than a month. Industry observers link the constraints to the complex manufacturing requirements of the foldable hinge and dual-display design, alongside broader component pressures in the consumer electronics sector. Analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence had previously estimated potential sales of around 14 million units in the fiscal year, generating roughly $28 billion in revenue, though the exact volume of initial production remains unclear.
MacDailyNews Take: Unlike the Duo, the simultaneously launched iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max remain available for immediate purchase, suggesting the shortage is specific to the new form factor. The strong early response comes as Apple heads into its critical holiday quarter, with the company valued at roughly $5 trillion and benefiting from solid demand for its latest Pro models in markets including China and India.
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Apple is leaving billions on the table every day the Duo is backordered 3+ months. Most of the people who’ve preordered will wait but there are millions more that are sitting on the sidelines for now until supply catches up. While I’m not worried that many of them will jump ship to the dishwasher company they may just wait this model year out if they won’t get delivery until 6 months before Duo 2 is revealed. Apple will continue to sell 18 Pros until the down-market iPhone 18 class comes out in the spring but this is a peak ‘S’ year for Apple with everything besides the Duo. Ternus, Cook and the rest of the execs should be sleeping on the factory floor at Foxconn in Zhengzhou holding non-stop pep-rallies for the workers to squeeze every unit possible out of that 24/7 operation.