Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo hits stores amid scarce supply

Apple's ↘ 0.14% first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, went on sale around the world on Friday, Oct. 23. It starts at $1,999 in the U.S., and there is not enough stock to go around. Within minutes of pre-orders opening on Oct. 16, Apple's estimated delivery dates slipped to late January. The company limited pre-orders to two handsets per customer and called demand "nothing short of extraordinary," Reuters reported.lufkindailynews.com+1

The launch is an early test for new CEO John Ternus. It also shows whether Apple can widen a foldable market that Samsung Electronics and Huawei have served for years.lufkindailynews.com

Lines, but limited stock

Apple had said stores in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Singapore, Spain and several other markets would have "limited" walk-in stock. Buyers in China, France, Hong Kong, India and Japan needed pickup reservations instead. In the U.S., stores are limiting purchases to two per customer.macrumors.com+1

Queues formed in Madrid and Barcelona, where the base model costs 2,300 euros. In New York, people without reservations had been waiting outside the Fifth Avenue store since Thursday. Sydney's George Street store, the first in the world to sell the phone, drew a shorter and quieter line than the one for the iPhone 18 in September. Because sales were rationed, there were fewer of the overnight camp-outs seen at past iPhone launches, Reuters noted. Dozens of people still queued in the rain outside London's Regent Street store.telecinco.es+2

Resellers move in

Pre-ordered units were already listed on resale sites for thousands of dollars above retail, ABC News The Walt Disney Company ↘ 0.54% reported. By late Friday morning in Singapore, The Straits Times counted more than 700 Carousell listings. Prices ran as high as S$8,888 for a 256GB model that Apple sells for S$3,099. On eBay ↘ 0.52%, a 2TB unit priced at $3,199 sold for about $5,000. In Hong Kong, one buyer told Reuters he planned to resell his phone for about HK$4,000 more than he paid.abcnews.com+2

Mixed reviews

Reviewers praised the Duo's design and its barely visible hinge. They faulted the lack of a telephoto lens and the many third-party apps not yet adapted to the new screen size. Marques Brownlee said that for most people who mainly text and browse, "it is probably a no".lufkindailynews.com

IDC expects Apple to take 44% of the foldable market's value in 2026 and to lead the market by 2027. "Now comes the next test: turning excitement into availability, adoption and a lasting new chapter for the smartphone market," said IDC's Francisco Jeronimo.lufkindailynews.com