iPhone Duo Sells Out in Minutes: Apple Online Orders Now Ship January 25

Apple wanted the iPhone Duo to be a hit. It may have been too much of one. Pre-orders for Apple’s first foldable opened on Friday, October 16, 2026, and within about 30 minutes every configuration in Apple’s US online store showed an estimated shipping date of January 25, MacRumors reports.

Sold out for Christmas

Delivery estimates moved past launch day within minutes, then to late November and December, before settling on late January for every color and storage size, according to AppleInsider. The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the US, and the first pre-orders are due on October 23.

Apple told the Financial Times that demand was “nothing short of extraordinary” and that it is working to get devices to customers as quickly as possible.

Don’t count on walking into a store

• Apple’s site tells customers to check back on Saturday, October 24 for in-store pickup. Pickup slots were briefly available, then disabled (MacRumors).
• Apple Store employees told MacRumors they’ve been advised there will likely be no stock for walk-in buyers on October 23. This comes from staff, not Apple, and may not apply everywhere.
• Carriers had stock for longer: AT&T and Verizon offered same-week delivery until about noon on Friday, and Best Buy still showed two-week shipping around 2 p.m. ET.

Why it’s so tight

Supply worries started early. Nikkei Asia reported in September that production was only a few hundred units a day in late August, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple had at one point feared sales would slip into November. Apple’s announcement describes a 7.6-inch inner screen, a 5.4-inch outer screen, the A20 Pro chip and a titanium body.

Rocks take

If you want one before the holidays, check carrier stores and retailers rather than Apple’s site, and expect lines on October 23. For everyone else, there’s no rush: a first-generation foldable at $1,999 is worth waiting for reviews and real-world durability reports.