iPhone Duo hits stores Oct. 23 as online orders slip to late January
Apple hasn't said whether stores will have walk-in stock, and no independent reviews of the $1,999 foldable have been published yet.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, the $1,999 iPhone Duo, goes on sale Friday (Oct. 23) in more than 70 countries and regions, including the US, but buyers who missed preorders now face a wait into 2027.
Preorders opened at 8 a.m. ET on Oct. 16. Within 30 minutes, Apple's US store showed a Jan. 25 delivery date for every configuration, according to MacRumors, and 9to5Mac reported that some buyers saw Jan. 29.
Preorder demand was "nothing short of extraordinary," Apple said in a statement reported by CNBC, adding that it "will continue accepting orders online." CNBC also reported that launch-day pickup inventory sold out quickly.
Apple hasn't said whether stores will have walk-in stock on launch day, MacRumors noted. Store pickup is disabled on Apple's site, with a note to check back Saturday (Oct. 24), according to MacRumors. No independent reviews have been published, so the hinge, crease, and real-world battery life are untested.
The Duo has a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display, runs on the A20 Pro chip from Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models, and unlocks with Touch ID in the side button instead of Face ID. It costs $1,999, $2,199, $2,599, and $3,199 for 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB.
How to buy one, and what else it needs
Apple's product page says the Duo will be sold on apple.com and at select carriers and partner stores starting Oct. 23, and that shoppers can see it "in person at all Apple Store locations." A display unit isn't stock, though, and MacRumors expects "extremely tight inventory for walk-in customers."
Placing an online order now holds a place in line. Apple has sometimes shipped supply-limited devices sooner than quoted, MacRumors said, but there's no guarantee. The other route is checking pickup in the Apple Store app on the morning of Oct. 23 and again on Oct. 24.
MacRumors said Best Buy also sells the Duo, but EngineerPal hasn't confirmed stock there or at carrier stores. Scalpers on eBay were asking as much as $5,200, according to 9to5Mac.
Trade-ins can soften the price. Apple says Apple Trade In gives $175 to $885 in credit for an eligible iPhone 13 or newer, and carrier deals at Apple go up to $1,200 with a trade-in of an iPhone 14 Pro Max or newer.
The Duo is eSIM-only worldwide and doesn't accept physical SIM cards, according to Apple's specs, so buyers should confirm their carrier supports eSIM. The Galaxy Z Fold8, by contrast, takes a nano-SIM plus an eSIM, according to Samsung.
Apple's iPhone Duo Case ($79) and iPhone Duo Folio with Kickstand ($129) became available to order Oct. 16, and both work with MagSafe, Qi2 25W, and Qi chargers, Apple said. The box includes only a USB-C cable, and Apple says charging to 50 percent in about 20 minutes needs a 60W-capable adapter.
Apple doesn't sell a screen protector for the Duo. ZAGG lists an InvisibleShield Glass XTR6 protector for it at $59.99, and OtterBox says its Lumen Series and Defender Series Pro XT cases for the Duo arrive "later this fall."
How it compares with the Galaxy Z Fold8
The closest rival is Samsung's passport-shaped Galaxy Z Fold8, which also has a 7.6-inch inner display. Samsung lists it at $1,899.99 for 256GB and is currently selling it for $1,699.99, a sale price that its store page lists as valid through Oct. 18.
The Duo has the stronger rating on paper: IP68 dust and water resistance, versus IP48 for the Fold8. It also offers a 2TB tier, and Apple says Apple Pencil support arrives later this year. Samsung says the Fold8 doesn't support its S Pen.
The Fold8 is lighter and thinner, at 201 g and 9.7 mm closed, versus 254 g and 11.3 mm for the Duo. Samsung's store shows the 256GB base model arriving by Oct. 21, though it warns of delays on popular combinations.
Neither has a dedicated telephoto camera. The Duo pairs two 48MP rear cameras and the Fold8 two 50MP ones. Samsung promises up to seven years of OS and security updates, while Apple doesn't list a figure on its Duo pages.
"It's not that it's a breakthrough or new technology, but it's from Apple," Nabila Popal, global senior research director at IDC, told CNBC. IDC also expects supply to stay constrained at first because of the device's complexity, CNBC reported.
The next milestone is Oct. 30, when the Duo goes on sale in 28 more countries and regions.
