Apple Store Employees Reportedly Warn Customers Not to Expect Walk-In iPhone Duo Stock on Launch Day

Apple ($AAPL) store employees have been advised that there will likely be no iPhone Duo stock available for walk-in purchases on launch day, according to MacRumors. Staff have reportedly been instructed to discourage customers without preorders from coming in expecting to buy the device. The iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable two-screen phone, is released on Oct. 23.
Apple told CNBC that preorder demand was "nothing short of extraordinary," and said it will keep accepting orders online. Delivery estimates have stretched to Dec. 5 for some buyers, and media reports say some consumers received windows extending into 2027. A mock order placed on Apple's website on Oct. 18 showed a Jan. 25 delivery date, with in-store pickup availability to be checked on Oct. 24.
The phone starts at $1,999 and passes $3,000 for the 2TB tier. Nikkei Asia reported that production slowed in September to just "a few hundred a day," due mainly to Apple's quality control standards.
Yorkville Ives analysts said in a note to the Wall Street Journal that demand at a $1,999 entry price is "running well ahead of what anyone expected." The article notes the long delivery times don't establish whether Apple underestimated demand or faced supply constraints.