The wait is finally over for tech enthusiasts as Apple officially released its first foldable device, the iPhone Duo, this Friday. While lucky pre-order customers are seeing their shipments arrive today, those who missed the initial window are facing a much steeper climb to get their hands on the hardware. Demand has already reached fever pitch; within thirty minutes of pre-orders opening last week, delivery dates for new online orders were pushed back as far as late January.
For those hoping to snag a unit in person, the experience varies wildly depending on where you live. Apple confirmed that limited walk-in stock is available at physical stores across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Mexico, and parts of Europe. However, shoppers in markets like China, Japan, India, and South Korea are out of luck for spontaneous visits and must secure a specific pickup reservation through the app or website. Even in supported regions, some retail employees have reportedly been told to discourage walk-ins altogether because stocks are expected to vanish almost instantly.
Despite the general scarcity, there have been pockets of surprising availability. Some reports indicate that certain locations, such as Apple Edinburgh, had more units than anticipated early this morning. For Americans trying their luck tomorrow, the company suggested checking back on Saturday for fresh pickup reservations as inventories are potentially replenished. To prevent scalping during this volatile launch period, Apple is strictly limiting purchases to two devices per customer in the U.S.
The premium pricing reflects the cutting edge nature of the technology, with the base 256GB model starting at 1,999 dollars in either Star White or Night Sky colors. Top tier users can spend up to 3,199 dollars for a massive 2TB configuration. This aggressive rollout hasn’t come without criticism; industry insiders suggest Apple may have rushed into pre-orders despite known manufacturing hurdles and severe supply constraints—a move some analysts are calling a significant strategic blunder given the current shortage.
