Apple Tells People Not to Come to Its Stores for the iPhone Duo. In My Opinion, Something Smells Here

As MacRumors reported, Apple retail employees have been told to warn customers that there will likely be no iPhone Duo stock for walk-in purchases on launch day, Friday, October 23. Staff were instructed to discourage people without a pre-order from coming in, because they will be disappointed. 9to5Mac confirmed the report and pointed to carriers and Best Buy as a better bet in the US.

Apple’s website tells customers to check back on Saturday, October 24 for pickup availability, but that is not a guarantee. Within 30 minutes of pre-orders opening, every configuration showed January 25 delivery in the US. According to Nikkei Asia, production reached only a few hundred devices per day in late August, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple at one point expected sales could slip into November. Apple has only said that demand is “nothing short of extraordinary.”

In this article: Probably for the first time in Apple’s history · Seven years to prepare · 150 demo units, zero to sell · If it were Samsung · Don’t blame the scalpers · Toys for the rich? · No Duo for Christmas · What I would do · Apple, tell us the truth · FAQ

Probably for the first time in Apple’s history

What is this? I really don’t understand how a company like Apple cannot have production ready for a big volume of the iPhone Duo. Something smells here, but in a way that nobody can explain. And Apple only writes that you should not come to the store without a pre-order.

Probably for the first time in Apple’s history, they are telling people: don’t come to the Apple Store, because we don’t have this iPhone. Honestly, that sounds strange.

Seven years to prepare

This is a new phone, and a foldable, the first one Apple ever presented. They could have known there would be demand for it, and they should have prepared production. Instead, all this time we only heard how good they are. In my opinion, they should have kept quiet, gone to work and prepared.

I have one big question in my head: how is it even possible that they messed up production this badly? Or did the hinge fail so much that they found out only now, after 7 years of being late to the market? As analysts reported, the hinge is what slows production. The hinge they worked on for 7 years. Wow. That is really a big slap for Apple.

It reminds me of Elon Musk: promise us a car, and it arrives plus or minus in 10 years. And why, when they have a problem, do they keep taking pre-orders? This way, it will drag on so long that it will be better to wait for the second generation.

150 demo units, zero to sell

One leaker said that some stores will have up to 150 demo devices. I don’t understand the marketing this year at all. We have no phones, but we have 150 pieces in the store, to show you what you can buy, and at the same time you can’t buy it. Come back in 3 to 4 months, make a pre-order. Are they laughing at us? Or how should I take it? It still doesn’t fit in my head.

If it were Samsung

This is also not fair. If it were another manufacturer, people would destroy it so badly that it would not recover for a year. But when it is Apple, people find 100 reasons to defend it.

And the opposite is true. They waited for years and learned how to make foldables, and as we can see, it is so embarrassing that they couldn’t even manage this. They only play theater: we have a problem, it is so hard. Then why did you release the phone if you can’t do it?

Don’t blame the scalpers

One MacRumors reader suggested a limit of one iPhone Duo per Apple account or phone number. In my opinion, blaming only the scalpers is a really embarrassing argument. Apple should fix production when it sees it has a problem, not try to stop people from buying.

That said, I do think scalpers have a lot of these pre-orders. In my opinion, sold out in 30 minutes is very fast for such an expensive phone. Or maybe not, and it is just my angle. Another reader joked that right at 14 days, a lot of scalpers will go back to return them. Maybe in two weeks scalpers who couldn’t sell the phone on eBay for $5,000 or $10,000 will start returning it, and suddenly something appears for sale again. But I think it won’t happen much. It is more irony.

Toys for the rich?

A reader wrote that Apple is now doing what it was always accused of: making toys for the affluent. Maybe it already looks like Apple will make its best things only for people who can afford expensive gadgets, because the whole company, with this leadership, is slowly going in a completely different direction.

Another reader pointed out that in many markets, the Duo may be available only about half a year before the next generation is announced. If that really happens, it will be embarrassing. Waiting 3 to 4 months for a phone, and we don’t even know for sure, maybe production slips even more. That is how you understand they are weaker than the competition. Honestly, it makes me a bit sad. But it is a shame.

No Duo for Christmas

For those who wanted it for Christmas, I can tell you: unfortunately, you will most likely stay without the gift, and without the emotion you were waiting for. But if you really want it and you have the money, you know where you can find it more expensive. That is just sarcasm, but maybe someone will do it.

What I would do

Even if we know there is a problem somewhere, I would say: think about it. This phone is the first generation, and if they now tell us about production problems, it means they will rush. That means more problems will appear over time.

I can’t discourage anyone. You can look at carriers. And if you really want it now, there are the scalpers everyone complains about. But as I said before, I would wait for the second generation.

Apple, tell us the truth

I don’t think this is theater. I think it is something Apple didn’t expect at all, but it doesn’t tell us exactly where the problem in production is. I understand the people who defend this, and I understand Apple quite well too. But it has never happened that people waiting in line were told: go home, without a pre-order you get nothing, there are no phones.

Will it hurt Apple? I don’t know for sure, but probably yes. At the same time, it creates huge demand. Still, please, I want Apple to speak straight about what the production problem is and why it was not ready for big iPhone Duo sales. If it takes many months, maybe half a year, in the end it will hurt a lot. People will start leaving, they will post about it on social media, and that can mean investors leave too. That is direct pressure on Apple to think about what it is doing.

In my opinion, when a company like Apple gets into problems like this, it doesn’t show that Apple is the best. It shows that it is starting to limp from all sides. Have a little luck, Apple. Next time, maybe put two parts in the hinge and then sell us the phone.

Featured photo: Rwendland, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative.

This article is opinion.

iPhone Duo launch day stock: FAQ

Can I buy an iPhone Duo in an Apple Store on launch day?

According to Apple Store employees who spoke to MacRumors, there will likely be no iPhone Duo stock for walk-in purchases on October 23, and staff were told to discourage customers without a pre-order from coming in.

When is the iPhone Duo launch date?

The iPhone Duo launches on Friday, October 23, 2026, when the first pre-orders are delivered. Apple’s online store says to check back on October 24 for pickup availability.

How long is the iPhone Duo wait time?

Within 30 minutes of pre-orders opening, all configurations in Apple’s US online store showed January 25 delivery estimates, so the device is effectively sold out for Christmas through Apple.

Why is the iPhone Duo in short supply?

Nikkei Asia reported production of only a few hundred units per day in late August, and analysts pointed to the hinge as a production problem. Apple has not explained the details and only called demand “extraordinary.”

Where else can I buy an iPhone Duo?

9to5Mac suggests carriers and Best Buy in the US may be a better option than walking into an Apple Store on launch day.

How much does the iPhone Duo cost?

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the United States.

Sources: MacRumors, 9to5Mac, Nikkei Asia, Bloomberg, Financial Times, MacRumors forum readers.

Our Take

Apple had years to prepare its first foldable. Now it tells people not to come to its own stores.

In my opinion, that is not “extraordinary” demand. It is a production problem Apple won’t explain. Wait for the second generation.