iPhone Duo pre-orders sell out in minutes; delivery delayed to January

Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, went up for pre-order on October 16, 2026, and sold out within minutes. The initial allocation for the October 23 launch date was exhausted by 8:30 a.m. ET in the United States, with all subsequent orders now showing estimated delivery dates in January 2027, ranging from January 23 to January 29 depending on region and configuration.

The rapid sell-out reflects a combination of strong consumer demand and constrained supply. Industry reports prior to launch indicated Apple was producing only a few hundred iPhone Duo units per day, significantly below typical iPhone ramp rates. Pre-orders began on October 16 at 5:30 p.m. IST in India and at standard times across more than 70 countries and regions globally, with availability also affected by the Apple Store's brief offline period during the transition.

The device's limited initial supply has fueled a substantial secondary market. On eBay and other resale platforms in the United States, scalpers are asking prices as high as $5,200, representing markups of more than $3,200 above the $1,999 starting price. In China, where Tmall's official Apple flagship store shows delivery dates of January 23, resellers on platforms including Xianyu and Xiaohongshu are pricing iPhone Duo units at markups ranging from 4,000 yuan (approximately 767 USD) and higher. Some configurations, such as the 1TB model, are being listed at prices exceeding 26,000 yuan—about 7,143 yuan above the official retail price. Industry analysts expect secondary market premiums to persist for approximately two weeks as initial supply constraints remain in place.

The iPhone Duo features Apple's largest display ever in a foldable design, with an inner screen 50 percent larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max and an outer 5.4-inch display that delivers 90 percent of the screen area of the iPhone 18 Pro. The device is powered by the A20 Pro chip and runs iOS 27 with new Siri AI capabilities. It includes a dual-camera system with 48MP sensors and a new under-display front-facing camera for calls on the inner screen.