As a T-Mobile customer, I pay for yearly upgrades.
Every year, I order the new iPhone on the day preorders open, and I usually get my new phone in the mail a few days after its official release.
This year, I placed my order for the new iPhone Duo on Oct. 17, one day after preorders opened for Apple’s first-ever folding, two-screen phone. And while the phone will be released on Oct. 23, my delivery estimate is Dec. 5.
That’s better than media reports saying that some consumers received a delivery window that extended into 2027.
Now, some Apple employees have quietly shared some advice that contradicts, at least partially, what Apple says on its website.
Apple stores sell iPhones
Apple’s website presents its store as an option for people looking to buy/order an iPhone Duo.
“Customers shopping in-store or online for iPhone Duo can connect with Apple Specialists for personalized support and get assistance with ways to save and pay, including leasing with Apple Upgrade, financing options, and carrier deals, as well as learn how to protect their products with AppleCare+ or AppleCare One. Customers can also take advantage of convenient home delivery or arrange for pickup at their local Apple Store at a time most suitable for them,” the company shared.
That’s usually a good option, but Apple store employees have warned most customers to stay away on release day.
“Apple Store employees told MacRumors that they have been advised that there will likely be no iPhone Duo stock available for walk-in purchases on launch day. Staff have been instructed to discourage customers without pre-orders from coming in expecting to buy the device, warning that they will be disappointed,” MacRumors reported.
Placing a mock order for an iPhone Duo, the Night Sky, 256GB version, on the Apple store at 12:25 p.m. on Oct. 18 showed a Jan. 25 delivery date. Apple also included the language for in-store pickup: “Check back for availability on 10.24.”
That message does not confirm whether stores will have walk-in inventory on launch day, but it does suggest customers should check pickup availability again before making a trip.
Apple’s carrier partners, including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, have their own inventory allocations, and demand may differ across retailers. My T-Mobile order, for example, has a much earlier estimated delivery date than an order placed through Apple’s website.
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Did Apple make an iPhone Duo demand mistake?
While it’s not uncommon for a new iPhone to be back-ordered, delivery dates pushed more than two months past launch have not been common.
Apple told CNBC that the preorder demand was “nothing short of extraordinary.”
“We are working hard to get this revolutionary new product into customers’ hands as quickly as possible, and we will continue accepting orders online,” Apple said.
Apple’s first foldable phone starts at $1,999 and passes $3,000 for the 2TB storage tier.
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Some people see the shortage as a marketing move.
“Apple marketing 101. Produce something in limited quantity for a few reasons. Since it is very expensive, you never know how the public will perceive it. So, if no one really wants it, they won’t have excess inventory. But, if it does sell well they can say SEE! We sold out! Everyone wants one,” R Harris commented on an Engadget story.
The long delivery estimates suggest demand may have exceeded Apple’s expectations, but they don’t establish whether the company underestimated demand or faced supply constraints.
Production of the iPhone Duo slowed in September to just “a few hundred a day,” due mainly to Apple’s extremely high quality control standards,” Nikkei Asia reported.
Yorkville Ives analysts shared their thoughts in a note to the Wall Street Journal.
“This is a clear sign that demand at a $1,999 entry price is running well ahead of what anyone expected,” they wrote, adding that the demand “reinforces our view that the Duo is the first major new hardware innovation out of Cupertino since the Airpods a decade ago.”
Related: Verizon launches generous customer perks after raising prices