iPhone Duo buyers who did not order in the first minutes of pre-orders are now looking at a very long wait. MacRumors reported on October 16 that every configuration of the foldable showed a delivery estimate of January 25 on Apple's U.S. online store by about 5:30 a.m. PT, roughly half an hour after pre-orders opened.
According to MacRumors, customers who ordered right at 5 a.m. PT were given a delivery date of Friday, October 23, which is launch day. Within minutes, however, all eight configurations, in Star White and Night Sky with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB of storage, moved to the same late-January date. The report found no difference between colors or capacities.
The new estimates mean an order placed now through Apple's online store is not expected to arrive before Christmas. Apple has not said how many iPhone Duo units it has available at launch, and shipping dates are generally a reflection of supply and demand rather than a firm commitment.
Limited supply had been flagged beforehand. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that stock would be tight at launch. MacRumors also pointed to earlier reports of manufacturing difficulties, including a claim relayed via Jiemian News from a source close to Foxconn's supply chain that final assembly yields were slightly above 60 percent as of September 17. That figure is an unconfirmed supply-chain report, not something Apple has stated.
Store pickup is another moving part. MacRumors says Apple briefly offered in-store pickup for pre-orders and then switched it off, telling customers to check back on Saturday, October 24. Walk-in buyers may still find units at Apple Stores on October 23, but the report expects inventory at most locations to be very limited. Retailers such as Best Buy also carry the device, though their stock levels were not detailed.
For anyone still hoping to get a Duo soon, the practical options appear to be checking back for restocks, trying a retail partner, or visiting a store on launch day. Apple's own estimates may also change as supply is updated.
Apple opened iPhone Duo pre-orders on October 16, with launch day set for October 23.
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