The impending launch of the iPhone Duo is at the forefront of all our minds here at Tom's Guide, particularly the subject of whether we'll be able to score a pre-order and how long we're going to have to wait if we do. Pre-orders open this Friday (October 16) at 8 a.m. ET ahead of an official release on October 23. But when will those units actually arrive?
I'm still waiting on the iPhone 18 Pro Max I ordered a month ago, and they were available in much greater numbers. So I shudder to think how long people are going to have to wait for their iPhone Duo orders to be delivered.
Projected demand for the iPhone Duo is high, and despite the high price tag analysts have been predicting shortages for months already. It's not hard to see why, when you consider the fact that Apple is only expected to ship a few million iPhone Duo units this year — compared to the tens of millions of non-folding iPhones.
The good news is, any projected shortages won't be lasting forever. Especially not now that Apple has reportedly increased its iPhone Duo orders by roughly 30%.
More Duos means more availability
The report in question comes from the Securities Times in China, which claims that Apple is anticipating far higher demand for the iPhone Duo than previously expected. The report notes that previous estimates pointed towards 6 to 7 million units being produced this year, but now that figure is closer to 10 million.
This comes off the back of reports that Apple has reduced production targets for the iPhone 18 Pro by 10 to 15%, while simultaneously increasing iPhone 18 Pro Max production by the same amount.
The 10 million figure is not new, and past reports have suggested Apple could have ordered anything from 7 to 10 million iPhone Duo units. However, we never got any real confirmation of that, and news that Apple could be increasing the future supply of its first foldable can only be a good thing for potential buyers.
Why? Because this means any short-term shortages of the iPhone Duo are likely to be temporary. Apple wants to get its foldable into as many willing hands as it can, and the more it produces, the easier that will inevitably be.
In other words, if you're struggling to get hold of the iPhone Duo at release, whether it's with an online pre-order or purchasing from a retail store, patience will be your best friend. Which also means you should absolutely not give in to FOMO and buy an overpriced iPhone Duo from a scalper.
Never give in to the scalpers
Scalpers are an unscrupulous lot, and they will happily take advantage of demand to try to make themselves a few extra bucks. We've seen major problems arise over the past couple of years, and it got particularly bad during the COVID-19 pandemic when consumer electronics were in short supply right as demand exploded.
PS5s were a popular target for scalpers at the time, as were Nintendo Switches, Xboxes and graphics cards. More recently, there have been serious problems with scalpers targeting hobbies, notably Pokemon cards, and any other product that could easily be flipped for a profit.
A high-profile release like the iPhone Duo is ripe for scalpers to try and take advantage. I can guarantee that, come Friday, sites like eBay will be flooded with listings offering fast access to the foldable for a price. Obviously you should not cave and give them what they want.
Buying from scalpers not only encourages them to keep doing what they're doing and to force the rest of us to pay even more for already-expensive products, but it's also unnecessary.
Supply eventually bounces back
We have shipment delays every time Apple releases a new iPhone, with one particular model or color proving to be far more popular than Apple apparently anticipated. So those people with their heart set on that specific iPhone end up having to wait a little while longer. The ratio of supply and demand always equalizes, though, and those sought-after models inevitably stop being so elusive.
Sometimes it happens in a few weeks; for others it's a couple of months. The fact is that Apple is in the business of making money by selling as many iPhones as possible. Unlike some companies that seem to thrive on artificial scarcity, that's never really been part of Apple's playbook. The fact it's reportedly increased its iPhone Duo order is testament to that.
Plus, you have to remember that Apple offers a 2-week return policy in the U.S. This means scalpers can buy the iPhone Duo, safe in the knowledge that any unsold units can be returned for a full refund within 14 days of them receiving it. We saw that happen with the Apple Vision Pro, both from scalpers and potential buyers that decided the $3,500 face computer wasn't for them.
That matters because unscalped units will be redistributed into the iPhone Duo supply chain, and sold to someone else — hopefully someone who actually wants to use it. This should also lead to a drop in wait times, but all of that will be for naught if people give the scalpers what they want.
How to secure your iPhone Duo pre-order
iPhone Duo pre-orders open on Friday, October 16 at 5 a.m. PT / 8 a.m. ET / 1 p.m. BST, and that will be your first opportunity to secure an Apple foldable for yourself. Obviously, everyone who wants a Duo will have the same idea, and will be flocking to the Apple website to try and grab one for themselves — and right now there's no way of knowing how hectic the process is going to be.
The good news is that Apple is already letting customers prepare their pre-orders ahead of time. This doesn't guarantee you an iPhone Duo, but it does let you get through the bulk of the pre-ordering process in advance. That means confirming the configuration you want, which carrier you need to sign up for, and ensuring any financial checks that need to take place are all approved and finalized before Friday morning.
So once pre-orders do open, all you need to do is head to your basket on the Apple website and confirm the order that has already been set up. The few minutes that you save could be the difference between getting your iPhone Duo soon or having to wait several more weeks.
Alternatively, you could try your luck elsewhere. Third-party carriers will be stocking the iPhone Duo, and may experience less demand than Apple itself. Similarly, you could try your luck at your nearest Apple Store on October 23, and get to experience the personalized messaging Apple is said to be adding to Duo purchases made in store. There's probably going to be a line, so I recommend getting there early. At least the abnormally warm October weather means you're less likely to catch a chill while standing in line.
Just don't buy from a scalper. The iPhone Duo is expensive enough, and there's no real benefit to paying more to get your hands on one.