Apple opened iPhone Duo preorders at 8AM ET on Friday. Within an hour, delivery estimates had already slipped into next year.
By Friday afternoon, every configuration on Apple’s website showed late January 2027 delivery dates. The foldable still goes on sale in stores on October 23rd.
Apple usually holds back part of its launch stock for retail. Buyers who missed the first wave may have better luck at a physical Apple Store than online.
The company told Bloomberg that demand has been “nothing short of extraordinary.” Apple did not say whether stores would have units for walk-in customers on launch day.
The Duo is Apple’s first foldable iPhone. It starts at $1,999 for the 256GB model and comes in “star white” and “night sky.”
Its shorter, passport-style body echoes a design Samsung introduced earlier this year. Apple announced the device in September, roughly a month before preorders went live.
Owners should also budget for repairs. Apple lists $999 for inner display damage without AppleCare Plus, and $1,499 for “other damage.”
Battery service runs $229, while outer display damage costs $379. A cracked cover layer is the cheapest fix at $49.
AppleCare Plus with Theft and Loss changes those numbers. It costs $19.99 per month, $199.99 per year, or $399 upfront, and drops the inner display repair to $99.
Long waits are not unusual for a first-generation Apple product. A backlog that stretches into a new calendar year is rarer.
The delay points to a supply chain that cannot match launch-day interest. It also suggests Apple built fewer units than the market wanted.
Apple has not said how many units it plans to build. Supply forecasts for the Duo have stayed private since the September announcement.
Foldables remain a small slice of the phone market. High prices and steep repair bills have kept the category niche, even as the hardware improves.
For buyers, the practical question is timing. Waiting for in-store stock on October 23rd may be faster than joining the online queue today.
Demand of this size is a good problem for Apple. It is a frustrating one for anyone who planned to own the Duo this month.
Preorders remain open on Apple’s website. Buyers placing an order today should expect a long wait before they can unfold the device.
For more hardware coverage, see our Samsung Galaxy Unpacked preview, or browse the rest of our AI & Tech section.
Source: The Verge — iPhone Duo orders are already delayed into 2027
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