Apple Shut Down Its Whole Store for One Phone. Again.

As MacRumors and 9to5Mac reported, Apple’s online store went down this morning ahead of iPhone Duo pre-orders. 9to5Mac called it Apple’s tradition. Visitors saw a message: “We love that early energy,” with a note that the store was “almost ready” for them.

Pre-orders opened at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, October 16, in more than 70 countries, with 28 more countries on October 30. The iPhone Duo comes in Night Sky and Star White, with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB of storage. It has a 7.6-inch inner display, a 5.4-inch outer display and the A20 Pro chip. It has no telephoto camera and uses Touch ID instead of Face ID.

In this article: It is 2026, Apple. Why do you still do this? · A trick to make you hurry · Someone wanted to buy a MacBook. Sorry, come back later · Will it sell out? I think yes · If it says “sold out” tomorrow · I wait for the testers · Touch ID instead of Face ID? I think they did it right · The hinge is still there · Most people will buy it on installments · Will shipping dates slip? · Will I buy it? No · FAQ

It is 2026, Apple. Why do you still do this?

Apple, it is 2026. Really. You do exactly the same thing before every launch. And I am curious: is this part of the plan? In my opinion, it is marketing. It should look like so many people came to the website that it went down.

Why do you keep switching off your own store? Don’t tell me it is because of a pre-order. We live in a world where, when you add a product, you don’t need to turn off the whole online store. That sounds strange.

Imagine Amazon. Because of one new cream, it switches off the entire store, with millions of products, all over the world. That would be really embarrassing. And Apple does it with one phone.

A trick to make you hurry

Or maybe it is exactly what everyone thinks, and Apple is making fun of us. In my opinion, the goal is to show that you sold one product. To create the impression that there will not be a Duo for everyone, so people must make a pre-order quickly. And this is how you create big demand for the Duo.

That fascinates me. And one MacRumors reader put it simply: “Especially for a damn preorder of something announced weeks ago.” Another one was even more direct: “I can’t believe these corny idiots are still doing this dumb marketing gimmick.”

Someone wanted to buy a MacBook. Sorry, come back later

Isn’t it embarrassing for you, Apple? Someone wanted to buy a different gadget from you. But because of your phone, I mean the Duo, you switched off the whole store. How can you be so unprofessional?

Readers felt it immediately. One wrote: “You cant order anything even a Macbook Pro right now because of a stupid iPhone pre order.” Another said you can browse the site, but when you try to buy anything, you get the same “you’re early” message. Window shopping only.

So, Apple, can you explain it to us? Why do you switch off the store when you only need to add one “Order” button on the Duo page?

After so many years, you probably show us that this marketing trick works excellently. Maybe all of us who own an online store should try it. Maybe it would generate more pre-orders.

Will it sell out? I think yes

Do I think it will sell out? Yes. When I read the comments from Apple fans, I have only one feeling: only Apple fans can believe so blindly. Be so convinced that it is wow and that the market has never seen such an innovation.

But I thought the same about the iPhone Air. I like it a lot, until today. And it did not happen. People don’t want to buy it. So now I am afraid to say anything in advance.

Still, in my opinion, it will sell. And 7 to 10 million units for a world of billions of people is not that much. When we count how expensive it is, and I am not even talking about the top configuration at $3,199, I think Apple will grab a big bag of money. As always.

If it says “sold out” tomorrow

If tomorrow everyone writes “sold out”, I will say that they really are the pros of marketing. They can do it the best way possible. You cannot describe it any other way. At such a price, sold out in 10 minutes, that is a really famous thing.

And then all of us must admit that we were wrong about Apple and the power of its wow effect. Even though, from what I saw, on the first demo day the Apple Stores were almost empty. I wrote about the iPhone Duo demo units in Apple Stores before.

I wait for the testers

Some readers call the first buyers “beta testers”. One wrote: “Good luck to all you beta testers! I mean early adopters.” Another said: “Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi buyers were the real beta testers all along.”

I agree. I said it myself: I am the person who waits for the first wave. They buy it now, and then, in a month or a few weeks, the so-called testers on social media will show us all the defects that come with the first-generation Duo.

That is why I did not buy the first-generation Air. The first generation has the most epic fails. The second and next ones get better, because Apple looks at what went wrong with the first one. But someone has to buy the first generation, so Apple has something, and someone, to build the next generation for.

Touch ID instead of Face ID? I think they did it right

A reader wrote that he could not pay $2,000 for worse cameras and no Face ID. Here I see it differently. When I think about it, Apple swapped Face ID for Touch ID mainly for technical reasons, and in my opinion they did it well.

Face ID does not make sense on the Duo. Think about it yourself. You have the display open, it locks, and you must turn the phone or close it so Face ID recognizes you. Apple surely cannot put two Face ID systems in the Duo, for the open and the closed position. That would shoot the price even higher.

Touch ID is much more comfortable here. And it is still Apple. Your things will be safe, so don’t worry too much. We will all get used to it. Maybe in time they will find a way to bring Face ID back, but right now I am sure they did it right.

The hinge is still there

The hinge is there, and you can feel it. I already wrote about it. It feels the same as on the competition. Apple only made an effect so it is not as visible as on the competition.

Most people will buy it on installments

In my opinion, most people will buy it on installments, or through a carrier with some plan. Not everyone is ready to pay that much money for a phone at once.

But my advice and my opinion: taking on such a debt because of a phone is a really bad idea. A phone is not worth it.

Will shipping dates slip?

Both things can happen here. Maybe Apple itself does not know how many people will buy right away, so delivery times will get longer. But we will see, and I don’t want to speculate.

Maybe they made only 1,000 phones and 2,000 people buy them. And immediately it will be everywhere, because those 2,000 people will share it on social media. That creates even bigger demand. Or at least everyone will talk about it.

Will I buy it? No

I will definitely not buy it. Even though it looks beautiful.

Featured photo: Seasider53, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This article is opinion.

iPhone Duo pre-orders: FAQ

Why is the Apple Store down today?

Apple took its online store offline ahead of iPhone Duo pre-orders on October 16, 2026. Apple does this before major launches. It was not a crash caused by traffic.

When do iPhone Duo pre-orders start?

Pre-orders started at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, October 16, 2026, in more than 70 countries. The iPhone Duo goes on sale October 23, and 28 more countries follow on October 30.

How much does the iPhone Duo cost?

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB and goes up to $3,199 for 2TB. It is also offered with 512GB and 1TB.

Does the iPhone Duo have Face ID?

No. The iPhone Duo uses Touch ID instead of Face ID.

How many iPhone Duo units will Apple ship?

Suppliers are expected to ship about 7 to 10 million iPhone Duo units for the rest of 2026.

Sources: Apple, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, MacRumors forum readers.

Our Take

Apple, you don’t need to switch off your whole store to sell one phone.

In my opinion, it is a marketing trick, and after so many years, it still works. I think the Duo will sell. But I will wait for the second generation.