The new iPhone Duo is selling out fast, with deliveries already slipping into late January, 2027 — three months after they are supposed to be available.
The sell-out is unprecedented, even for a new iPhone, which are always in high demand.
The new foldable iPhone was meant to be ready for delivery on Friday, October 23. But pre-orders backed up by months within 15 minutes of the new handset going on sale.
The checkout at Apple’s online store shows the iPhone Duo won’t be delivered until January 25 at the earliest. Customers hoping to pick up a handset before Christmas may still be able to get one, however.
iPhone Duo demand is off the charts; Ship dates backed up for months
As Apple’s first foldable, demand for the iPhone Duo was expected to be high for the novel form factor. But its popularity seems especially high with delivery dates already backed up for months. It’s also unavailable for pickup at many of Apple’s retail stores. However, Apple’s online store now says to check back on Saturday, October 24 for customers interested in reserving a pickup at an Apple Store.
This is unprecedented. I can’t remember Apple introducing a product with an immediate three-month backlog of orders.
Ship dates slipping even during check out
I have NEVER seen an iPhone sell out until Christmas within 15 minutes of preorder opening… WOW!
The iPhone Duo is gonna be on Ebay for $5,000-$10,000 on Day 1.. pic.twitter.com/VWLF0alVyx
— Vadim Yuryev (@VadimYuryev) October 16, 2026
The company has been encouraging customers to pre-configure orders and secure financing before ordering opened at 5 a.m. Pacific this morning.
Apple’s online store was offline for a few minutes, and by the time it loaded, ship dates quickly slipped into November and then December. Apple’s online store is currently listing January 25 as the earliest delivery/pick up date.
Some customers reported ship dates slipping even as they were checking out.
“They said pick up in store on the 10/23 or shipped for 11/6. So I chose pick up and selected a time. ⏰,” wrote Dave Hamilton on X. “By the time I got to checkout a few seconds later, no pickups were available anywhere. And the delivery window slipped to 11/20! 🚚📦📲 At least when I bought Rush tickets last year they were secure once they were in my cart! 🛒 🤘 And now, after typing this, pre-order deliveries have slipped to 12/14.”
Don’t despair!
The new iPhone still may still be available in stores on Friday, October 23. Apple often reserves a supply for walk-in customers on the first day of sales. Demand though, will likely be high.
It may also be available earlier through carriers and third-party retailers like Best Buy.
Prior to going on sale, reports indicated production problems and low yields for the new handset.
Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac. Leander is a longtime technology reporter and the author of six acclaimed books about Apple, including two New York Times bestsellers: Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products and Inside Steve’s Brain, a biography of Steve Jobs.
Leander has written for Wired magazine, Scientific American, The Guardian, The Observer, The San Francisco Chronicle, MacWeek and many other publications.
