Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, is facing a supply crunch, with delivery estimates slipping to late January 2027 within minutes of pre-orders opening on 16 October.
Pre-orders began at 8am in New York ahead of the device’s scheduled retail launch on 23 October. However, Apple’s online store was already displaying delivery dates extending into late January across both colour options and all storage configurations, ranging from 256GB to 2TB.
Customers on social media platforms, including Reddit and X, reported delays despite following Apple’s advice to reserve their preferred colour and storage configuration in advance. According to Bloomberg, retail stores also exhausted their initial pre-order stocks almost immediately.
It remains unclear whether the delays are the result of stronger-than-expected demand, limited supply or a combination of both factors. Apple typically reserves some units for walk-in customers on launch day, potentially providing an alternative for buyers seeking to obtain the device sooner.
Unveiled last month during Apple’s first major product launch under new chief executive John Ternus, the iPhone Duo marks the company’s long-awaited entry into the foldable smartphone market, which has remained relatively niche despite offerings from established competitors.
The device starts at $1,999 for the 256GB model, making it Apple’s most expensive iPhone to date.
Counterpoint Research estimated last month that Apple could sell about six million iPhone Duo units in 2026, potentially providing fresh momentum for the foldable smartphone market.
However, the forecast depends partly on the company’s ability to increase production. Counterpoint Research senior analyst Ivan Lam said at the time that the estimate was “contingent on how well the company ramps up production of the new hardware”.
