iPhone Duo pre-orders open with deliveries slipping to late January

Apple said on October 16 that pre-order demand for its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, was exceptionally strong, and that it will keep accepting online orders despite supply shortages. Shipping dates slipped to as late as late January next year shortly after pre-orders opened, according to aitimes.com.

In the US, delivery estimates in Apple's online store moved from the original launch date of October 23 to November and December, with some orders pushed to late January next year. Delays also appeared at some mobile carriers, regardless of color or storage capacity, and launch-day in-store stock was quickly exhausted.

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, with the 2TB model priced above $3,000. IDC analyst Navila Popal said the Duo is becoming a fast-aspired foldable phone.

Supply and forecast context

Counterpoint Research suggested short-term supply could be below 6 million units. Bloomberg Intelligence analyzed that iPhone Duo sales could exceed its earlier forecast of 14 million units for fiscal 2027.

According to IDC, foldable phones are expected to account for slightly over 2% of global smartphone shipments this year but about 7% of revenue, and the firm projected that in 2030 foldables will still be only 3% of shipments but 10% of revenue. TechInsights analyst Wayne Lam said that with the iPhone being nearly 20 years old, the only direction left given its market position is the upper market.