Apple launched its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, on Friday, drawing long lines, immediate sellouts, and early resellers at retail locations across the United States. Starting at $1,999, the device debuted alongside the iPhone 18 Pro Max following preorders that opened on October 16.
Early Queues Form Outside Flagship Stores
At Apple’s 5th Avenue location in New York, lines began forming at 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday, two days before the launch. By Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, over 50 people were waiting, with some utilizing buckets as placeholders. Meanwhile, at the Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington, New York, CNET Editor in Chief David Katzmaier reported that the first person arrived in line on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET. Apple store employees began taking pickup orders at 7 a.m. ET on Friday, but dismissed the rest of the queue by 7:30 a.m. ET after announcing the store had sold out before doors officially opened.
In San Francisco, Patrick Holland reported from the Union Square store that the first customers lined up at 9:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. By 11 a.m.
iPhone Duo Sells Out Rapidly at Retail Stores
Inventory vanished rapidly across the country. At the Oxmoor Center in Louisville, Kentucky, the store opened at 8 a.m. EDT, and CNET’s Faith Chihil observed a line of more than 40 people three hours prior. Employees began taking orders at 7:27 a.m. ET, but found that the 256GB iPhone Duo was already sold out. At the University Village store in Seattle, approximately 180 people without preorders waited outside, and the stock sold out within 15 minutes of opening.
Apple implemented a purchase limit of two iPhone Duos per person per day, marking the first time in a long time that the company has capped unit sales at physical retail locations.
John Ternus Debuts iPhone Duo with Split-Screen Features
New Apple CEO John Ternus debuted the iPhone Duo launch at the Apple store in Austin, Texas, rather than the New York flagship, a placement potentially tied to the city’s Formula 1 race weekend streaming on Apple TV. The device features split-screen capabilities, a photo preview display, Touch ID instead of Face ID, and Apple Pencil support.
In her review for cnet.com, Abrar Al-Heeti noted that details such as the matte inner display, under-display inner camera, and smooth transitions between screens give the Duo a premium feel that helps justify its high price tag. Al-Heeti described the device as a foldable experience that feels cohesive, intuitive, and genuinely useful, though she observed that broader market appeal remains some distance away.
Preorders Create Shipping Backlogs into Early Next Year
Preorders opened on October 16, quickly creating a backlog stretching into early next year. While physical store restock dates remain unannounced, buyers can check availability on October 24 on Apple’s website for local store pickup, which may bypass shipping estimates that currently project delivery dates as late as January 29 in certain areas.
