Blink and You Missed It: iPhone Duo Orders Are Already Backlogged to 2027
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It looks like predictions that the iPhone Duo would sell out fast weren’t an exaggeration. At 8:00 a.m. ET this morning, Apple opened pre-orders for its long-awaited foldable iPhone, and while some lucky people likely got in fast enough to hit the release date of next Friday, October 23, most weren’t so fortunate.
Within seconds, shipping times were already falling back into November, and by 8:30, all iPhone Duo configurations and colors — even the $3,200 2 TB model — were showing shipping dates well into January (as of this writing, that’s January 25, 2027).
That said, Apple also has a note to “Check back for availability on 10.24” for Apple Store availability, which would include purchasing for in-store pickup or local same-day delivery for those who live close enough to an Apple Store. That’s in contrast to previous iPhone pre-orders, including the iPhone 18 Pro models, which still allowed customers to book in-store pickups after pre-orders opened.
It’s unclear what in-store availability is going to be like, but if this morning was any indication, you may want to camp out at your local Apple Store next Friday if you want one on launch day. Apple usually reserves some stock for walk-in customers, but unless you’re living near a flagship store, stock is expected to be limited, as the smaller stores aren’t even expected to get that many demo units, much less sellable stock.
While Apple would surely like us to believe that this is due to incredibly high demand for the iPhone Duo — and that’s undoubtedly true in part — multiple supply chain reports over the past year have suggested that Apple has been struggling with production yields. Just last month, a report from China’s Jiemian News indicated that Apple was still at least partly behind the eight ball on producing as many units as it had initially targeted.
In December 2025, veteran Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that while Apple was still expected to announce its foldable iPhone this fall, “smooth shipments may not occur until 2027.” Today’s January shipping estimates suggest that Kuo nailed that one. That’s kind of refreshing, coming from the same guy who once predicted Apple would sell 20 million foldable iPhones by the end of 2023.
That 20 million number sounds even more quaint today, as the most optimistic supply chain reports said Apple had only ordered 10 million units of the iPhone Duo for sale before the end of 2026. That was an increase from the 7–8 million estimate that had been predicted earlier, although the latest reports suggest that Apple has only been able to hit between 6 and 8 million, which may explain the current shortages.
That’s still a lot of iPhones, especially considering that the iPhone Duo starts at $2,000 and only goes up from there. The fact that Apple sold out means there is seriously legitimate demand, but it also pales in comparison to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, where Apple is expected to sell 20 to 30 million units — of each of those models.
That puts the iPhone Duo largely in “iPhone Air” territory right now, which isn’t too surprising considering its price. However, it also suggests the foldable was in much higher demand than last year’s ultra-slim iPhone. Analysts estimate that Apple produced somewhere between 9 million and 13 million iPhone Air units in 2025, with some debate that Apple cut production after lukewarm reception. It’s safe to say that won’t be a problem for the iPhone Duo.
The good news is that if you really want an iPhone Duo before Christmas, chances are pretty good you’ll be able to find one in stores. Even if there’s no stock on launch day, Apple reserves some of its production capacity for its retail stores. After all, it can’t leave store shelves empty until January. Apple Stores receive regular shipments, typically at least twice a week, so check back daily in the Apple Store app and you’ll almost certainly be able to snag one before next year. You may even be able to use Safari’s new Notify Me feature to keep an eye on the Apple Store for you and let you know when stock shows up.
