iPhone Duo Orders Up 30%? Maybe I Was Wrong, but in My Opinion Something Still Does Not Fit

Yesterday I wrote about the 150 iPhone Duo demo units on Fifth Avenue, and I said such a huge push may come from fear about sales at $1,999. Today, a new report says the opposite.

According to China’s Securities Times, as reported by 9to5Mac, Apple increased its iPhone Duo orders in the supply chain by 30%. Earlier estimates were 6 to 7 million units for the rest of 2026. Now the target is likely close to 10 million, but still not above it. Pre-orders open on Friday, October 16, and the phone starts at $1,999 and goes up to $3,199.

In this article: Was I wrong? Something still does not fit · 30% more before pre-orders: a forecast or a bet? · Who buys a $2,000 phone? More people than you think · Pro Max up, Pro down: so were we led by the nose? · Nikkei or Securities Times: who to believe? · $100 billion gone in a day: news or a stock game? · Is the 30% part of the marketing? · Will iPhone Duo be the next iPhone Air? · Scalpers: do not overpay, just wait · Success without being a bestseller · “A worse phone and a worse iPad in one”? Use your own head · Will I pre-order on Friday? No · FAQ

Was I wrong? Something still does not fit

It may also be that it does not mean the news came out by itself. Sometimes it is good to think in that direction too. 9to5Mac writes that it came out of production, from the supply chain. But in the same way, maybe it was done on purpose, so Apple itself can push the hype around the iPhone Duo even more. Don’t you think? This year, there is a really mega big hype around the foldable phone.

I still think something does not fit with everything that is happening around the iPhone Duo.

30% more before pre-orders: a forecast or a bet?

That is exactly why I say maybe it is not even true, only to create even bigger emotions in people, so they want to buy it. And if it is true that they raised it, they probably have some way to calculate how many phones will be needed. But raising production does not mean it is certain they will sell like that.

The same happened last year with the iPhone Air. The hype was smaller than with the Duo now, but they still made hype, and the reality was completely outside Apple’s expectations. Lately, that is probably nothing unusual for them. But when I see it is such an expensive phone, and they still go for such a bet, I do not understand it.

Or maybe it is news for investors, to create even bigger excitement for them and make money on that too. We can speculate a lot here, but it is still a mystery how Apple calculated that it needs to raise the volume of the Duo.

Who buys a $2,000 phone? More people than you think

We do not have to go far. All over the world, there are enough rich people. Nobody denies that. But 10 million units is, for me, rather exaggerated from Apple’s side. Then again, it can happen that even 10 million will be too few.

And let us not forget: new things always sell, and this is a completely new phone, plus foldable. If it is like in the videos and photos, that is not bad. And if it works well, I think this time the hype will pay off for them.

Pro Max up, Pro down: so were we led by the nose?

More and more people get used to bigger displays, better batteries and more features. And there is always this fame around the Pro Max, that it is the best. Maybe it is not even just fame, maybe it is the truth. But +15%? Congratulations, Apple.

So the news that came before, which I read and where I said sales are falling, as I wrote in the iPhone 18 Pro production cut, maybe only led us by the nose.

Nikkei or Securities Times: who to believe?

I do not know. But I have to be careful about what I read. As I see it, so much news about production and what is happening around Apple does not always have to be true. But the reactions to what comes out fascinate me, and I have to react somehow to all of it.

I am more a supporter of what I said: maybe it is some kind of black PR from Cupertino itself. And every year it works great for them.

$100 billion gone in a day: news or a stock game?

Here I am already thinking about other speculation, and that is speculation on stocks. We know well that for every company, bad news means a loss in stock for some time. But for somebody, it is an opportunity to buy those stocks, or buy more.

And now I have another question in my head. Maybe such news is even released by big people with power, just so the price goes down, and at that moment they buy these stocks. Why not? It is not the first time powerful people play with the market like this. This is only my speculation, I have no proof. But it is worth thinking about.

For context: after the Nikkei report about iPhone 18 Pro cuts, Apple briefly lost about $100 billion in market value, and JPMorgan said it was a seasonal reshuffle, not a collapse in demand.

Is the 30% part of the marketing?

In my opinion, definitely, it is part of the marketing. The only question that stays is: did they really raise it, or is it just another rumor? And if they raised it, not much, Apple plays it safe. That is more a question for them. But we will definitely find out the answer with time.

Will iPhone Duo be the next iPhone Air?

On the MacRumors forums, fans are afraid the Duo will become a “second Air”: a lot of hype and weak sales. I said it: for me, the Air is the sexiest phone. What will happen with the Duo, nobody knows.

But hats off, I also like the Duo from what I see on the internet and on social networks. It really looks like an unbelievably beautiful phone. But the hype is way too huge, I agree with that.

Scalpers: do not overpay, just wait

This thought has been in my head for a long time. It already happened a few times with iPhones. If it is because of scalpers, here is my advice: calmly wait, maybe a month. Nothing will happen. It will appear again on Apple’s website, and you can buy it. Maybe we will wait a few weeks or a month longer for the Duo, but definitely do not overpay. The phone is terribly expensive anyway.

And if somebody still buys overpriced phones from resellers only to have it as soon as possible? I hope that is just a bad dream.

Success without being a bestseller

One fan on the forum wrote that the Duo does not have to be the best-selling iPhone to be a success, because even small sales at such a high price mean a huge profit. Yes. We do not know how much it costs to make one phone. But from what we know about how other iPhones are made, Apple can easily sell 50% fewer than other iPhones, and in numbers it may still be better than every other model because of the margin. That is quite possible. Apple does not do anything for free.

“A worse phone and a worse iPad in one”? Use your own head

Critics are critics. But let us not forget: the Duo is its own segment. A regular phone has its buyers, and the iPad is a tablet. So every gadget has its place on the market. You do not have to believe everyone who says it is bad or good. For that, you have your own head to decide what is best for you.

Will I pre-order on Friday? No

Not at all. Even if I wait for iPhone Air 2, and even if later I will want the Duo even more, I will not buy the first generation. That is a certainty in my story.

Featured photo: 茅野ふたば, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

iPhone Duo orders: FAQ

Did Apple increase iPhone Duo orders?

According to China’s Securities Times, Apple increased iPhone Duo orders in the supply chain by 30%. Apple has not confirmed this.

How many iPhone Duo units will Apple make in 2026?

The report says total supply for the rest of 2026 does not exceed 10 million units. Earlier estimates were 6 to 7 million, so the new target is likely close to 10 million.

When do iPhone Duo pre-orders start?

iPhone Duo pre-orders start on Friday, October 16, 2026, and the phone goes on sale on October 23. It costs from $1,999 to $3,199.

Were iPhone 18 Pro orders cut?

According to Securities Times, iPhone 18 Pro orders were cut by 10 to 15% while iPhone 18 Pro Max orders rose by 10 to 15%, leaving the total for the Pro line unchanged. That contradicts an earlier Nikkei Asia report of overall cuts.

Sources: 9to5Mac, Securities Times, Nikkei Asia, MacRumors forums.

Our Take

Apple reportedly raised iPhone Duo orders by 30%. Maybe I was wrong yesterday. But in my opinion, something still does not fit.

Supply chain news can be real, or it can be part of the hype, and sometimes even a game with stocks. Be careful what you believe.

If scalpers take the first wave, wait a month. And I will not buy the first generation either way.