Logistics fiasco or clever marketing? Apple's iPhone Duo sellout might not be such a mistake

The iPhone Duo is Apple's most expensive phone yet, and also it's quickest selling. Preorders for Apple's first foldable opened on Friday 16 October ahead of a 23 October release date, and initial stock flew, with availability getting pushed back to January 2027 on Apple's own site.

Some carriers are claiming earlier arrivals Verizon was stating a 5 November delivery at the time of writing, but its website seems to be struggling. Xfinity states 13 November and AT&T early December . Those aren't guarantees, but they could be the best chance right now of getting a Duo before the end of the year.

• Preorder iPhone Duo at Apple
• Preorder iPhone Duo at Verizon
• Preorder iPhone Duo at Xfinity
• Preorder iPhone Duo at AT&T
• Preorder iPhone Duo at T-Mobile

Was the iPhone Duo sellout a 'mistake'?

The Apple website continues to state a 25 January delivery expectation for the iPhone Duo at the time of writing. That compares to a three to four-week wait for the iPhone X in 2017.

Three months is a long time for a phone. Part of the hype around the annual product cycles is the newness of each release. According to Apple's estimate, customers who order now will be getting their devices just nine months before we might see an iPhone Duo 2. Gougers are already taking advantage, with iPhone Duos appearing on Ebay over $4,000.

There's been a lot of debate about whether the quick depletion of iPhone Duo availability is a sign of massive success or poor preparation. Apple blames "extraordinary" demand, promoting the idea that initial stock flew much more quickly than it had anticipated.

But Apple's not disclosed production numbers or allocation figures, so it's hard to say whether there was genuine unprecedented demand or scarcity, planned or otherwise. Bloomberg's Apple expert Mark Gurman has suggests that it was a "major mistake" for the company to launch the $1,999 foldable in the way it did.

In his Power On newsletter, yesterday, Mark suggests Apple had gone ahead with a global launch across more than 70 countries before its manufacturing pipeline could produce enough handsets to meet demand. He suggested the company rushed to introduce the phone early in its fiscal first quarter when it should have waited until inventory levels were healthier.

He also said that Apple had originally considered restricting the iPhone Duo launch to the United States and China before gradually expanding elsewhere. The phone’s folding mechanism and flexible display requires different components and manufacturing processes compared to other iPhones, creating supply challenges that Mark says Apple was aware of.

But the decision might not be such a big mistake. It's true that there are some angry complaints on social media from people disappointed that they'll have to wait until January, but Apple's also now benefiting from the massive hype that scarcity creates, generating more headlines about the device and potentially encouraging more people to place orders before the delivery date gets pushed back even further.

A staggered roll out makes a lot of sense for a product for which it was hard to estimate demand. Apple's relatively late to the foldable phone space where Samsung and Google have an established presence, and the Duo comes at a time when the global chip shortage has pushed costs upwards. Apple also released the iPhone 18 Pro just a month ago, another expensive phone that, while not revolutionary in its form factor, does have a much better camera than the Duo.

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And the wait may not be as long what Apple's currently citing. It says it's working to fulfill orders as quickly as possible, and, in the past, Apple has sometimes moved orders forward when production improves or other customers cancel purchases. As noted above, carriers and authorised retailers may also get the device sooner, with some citing expected delivery dates in November and December.

Those hoping to beat the queue by going to an Apple Store in person on Friday might be in for disappointment. According to MacRumors, some Store employees have been urged to discourage customers from visiting without preorder reservations because inventory could be very limited. Apple’s online store suggests checking again on 24 October for pickup availability.

Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.