- Apple says demand for its first foldable iPhone has been “nothing short of extraordinary”, with delivery dates slipping into January.
- The Duo starts at $1,999 and can cost up to $3,200 with maximum storage.
- Strong iPhone 18 Pro sales are giving Apple momentum ahead of the holiday quarter, despite supply pressures.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, the Duo, has sold out for delivery until next year after a surge in pre-orders, with the company describing demand for the $1,999 device as “nothing short of extraordinary”.
The tech group, valued at about $5tn, said it would continue accepting online orders, but delivery dates on its website had slipped into late January within hours of pre-orders opening. US mobile carriers also reported delays for new orders.
Apple had initially promised deliveries from October 23. The Duo was unveiled last month by new chief executive John Ternus and marks the biggest design change to the iPhone since the smartphone was introduced two decades ago.
“We are working hard to get this revolutionary new product into customers’ hands as quickly as possible,” Apple said in a statement.
The device starts at $1,999 and can reach $3,200 with maximum storage, making it the most expensive iPhone yet. Analysts had expected the foldable model to appeal mainly to high-end customers willing to pay a premium for a new design.
Supply pressures
The delivery delays come as Apple and the wider consumer electronics industry grapple with component shortages, particularly memory chips. The constraints have contributed to manufacturers struggling to meet demand and pushing up prices across product ranges.
A multi-month delay for an iPhone is unusual for Apple, which is known for its tightly managed global supply chain. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022, deliveries of some iPhone 14 models slipped by more than a month after factory shutdowns in China.
Apple has been experimenting with new iPhone designs to encourage upgrades from customers holding on to older devices. Last year's ultra-thin iPhone Air was another attempt to refresh the line-up.
The Duo's launch also comes as Apple heads into its critical holiday quarter, with the latest iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models recording strong sales despite a contraction in the wider global smartphone market.
Market intelligence firm Counterpoint Research said this week that the iPhone 18 Pro models had seen a “stronger launch than their predecessors”, particularly in China and India.
Apple is also preparing to expand its artificial intelligence offering in China. Executive chair Tim Cook told Chinese media this week that the company's Apple Intelligence features, co-developed with Alibaba, had received regulatory approval, paving the way for their launch in the country more than two years after they were first announced.
The combination of a new foldable design, premium pricing and strong demand could give Apple fresh momentum. But how quickly the company can deliver the Duo will depend on whether it can ease the supply constraints holding back shipments.
