Apple’s iPhone Duo is set to launch on Friday, but getting your hands on one without a pre-order could be almost impossible. According to a new report, Apple Store employees have been told to discourage customers from turning up on launch day expecting to buy the company’s new foldable iPhone.
As shared by MacRumors, some retail staff have been warned that stores are unlikely to have any iPhone Duo stock available for walk-in purchases. Apple’s online store is also telling customers to check back on 24 October for pickup availability, although there’s no guarantee that stock will be available then either. It’s also unclear whether the warning applies to Apple Stores worldwide.
The shortage shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. iPhone Duo pre-orders sold out almost immediately, with delivery estimates slipping beyond launch day within minutes. Just half an hour after orders opened, every configuration on Apple’s online store was showing a 25 January shipping estimate, effectively ruling out Christmas delivery for anyone ordering directly from Apple now.
Supply problems have reportedly been building for months. In September, Nikkei Asia claimed production was running at just a few hundred devices per day in late August, with further manufacturing difficulties emerging later that month.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also reported that Apple had considered pushing the launch into November before managing to secure enough inventory to proceed with its planned October release.
Despite the limited supply, Apple appears pleased with the initial response. The company described demand as “nothing short of extraordinary” in a statement to the Financial Times, adding that it was working to get devices into customers’ hands as quickly as possible. However, Apple hasn’t officially confirmed whether any retail locations will have stock available for customers without reservations.
The iPhone Duo starts at £1,999/$1,999, with the first pre-order deliveries scheduled for October 23. For anyone hoping to pick one up in person, checking Apple’s online pickup availability before heading to a store looks like the safer option, particularly with new online orders already facing a wait until January.
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