iPhone Duo Sells Out in Minutes as Shipping Dates Slip to January 2027 Amid Preorder Frenzy and Tight Supply

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple's first foldable iPhone sold out within minutes of preorders opening Friday, with shipping estimates for new orders slipping into late January 2027, a sign of strong demand and sharply limited supply for the $1,999 device.

The iPhone Duo is scheduled to launch Oct. 23, but customers who did not place orders in the first moments now face waits of more than three months.

Apple shares rose more than 2% in premarket trading Friday, reaching a record high, as investors cheered signs of strong demand.

Dates slip within minutes

Preorders opened at 8 a.m. Eastern time on Apple's online store, with the ordering page going live a few minutes later. Shipping estimates began slipping almost immediately.

Within the first moments, delivery dates for all configurations moved to Nov. 16 and then Nov. 23, according to AppleInsider. Estimates then extended into early and mid-December before jumping into next year.

By about 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, all iPhone Duo configurations in the United States showed an estimated shipping date of Jan. 25, 2027, according to 9to5Mac and Macworld. Some customers reported seeing dates as late as Jan. 29.

Macworld called the delay "the furthest we've ever seen iPhone pre-orders slip."

Bloomberg reported that the extended timelines suggest strong demand and constrained supply will make the device difficult to purchase on its release date or in the near future.

Sold out for the holidays

The extended wait means customers ordering online now will not receive the phone before Christmas, according to MacRumors.

Shipping dates also stretched into December in other markets. In Britain, delivery estimates for the 256-gigabyte white model moved to mid-December, while German customers also saw mid-December dates, according to Macworld and its sister publication Macwelt.

Some readers told Macworld they had better luck ordering through their wireless carriers than through Apple directly. Carriers have offered incentives of up to $1,200 in bill credits to attract buyers.

Limited stock in stores

Apple said the iPhone Duo will be available in its retail stores on launch day, Oct. 23, and some stores are expected to have stock for walk-in customers. However, inventory is likely to be very limited.

Apple does not disclose how many units it has available at launch.

Scalpers move in

The shortage has already attracted resellers. Dozens of iPhone Duo preorders appeared on eBay shortly after sales opened, with some sellers asking as much as $5,200, according to 9to5Mac, more than double the starting price.

Production challenges

The shortages follow widely reported manufacturing difficulties. Final assembly yields at Foxconn, Apple's main manufacturing partner, were only slightly above 60% as of mid-September, according to a person close to the supply chain cited by China's Jiemian News.

Nikkei Asia reported last month that Apple was producing only a few hundred iPhone Duo units per day, far below the pace of a typical iPhone launch.

Earlier this week, a report from China's Securities Times said Apple had increased its orders for the device with suppliers by about 30% in response to stronger-than-expected demand, potentially lifting supply for the rest of 2026 to close to 10 million units.

JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee estimates Apple will ship about 8.5 million iPhone Duo units in the December quarter, according to Benzinga.

Most expensive iPhone ever

The iPhone Duo is the most expensive iPhone Apple has sold. Prices start at $1,999 for the 256-gigabyte model and rise to $2,199 for 512 gigabytes, $2,599 for 1 terabyte and $3,199 for 2 terabytes.

The device features a 7.6-inch inner display that has drawn praise in early hands-on reviews for its nearly invisible crease, along with a matte coating to reduce glare. It comes in star white and night sky and is built from grade 5 titanium.

The phone launches in more than 70 countries and regions on Oct. 23, with another 28 following on Oct. 30.

Strong signal for Apple

The rapid sellout offers an early sign that consumers are willing to pay a premium for Apple's take on the foldable phone, a category long dominated by Samsung and Chinese manufacturers.

However, analysts caution that it is difficult to gauge true demand when supply is so constrained. Long shipping times can reflect limited production as much as strong interest.

The device's performance will be closely watched during Apple's holiday quarter, typically its most important sales period. The iPhone Duo's high price could provide a significant boost to revenue if Apple can ramp up production.

Apple is expected to work with suppliers to increase production in the coming months, though a mature production line may still be six months to a year away, according to earlier reports.

Customers hoping to get the device sooner may want to check with wireless carriers or visit Apple stores on launch day, though availability is expected to be very limited.

Full reviews of the iPhone Duo are expected around its release next week.