Apple Can't Say When the iPhone Duo Shortage Will End as Wait Times Stretch Into 2027

Apple's first foldable iPhone is still almost impossible to buy. Chief executive John Ternus says the iPhone Duo remains supply constrained and Apple cannot predict when supply will catch up with demand, with new orders showing delivery dates in late January 2027.

Ternus spoke to Reuters after Apple reported its fiscal fourth-quarter results on November 2. "Duo is constrained as of today," he said. "The ramp is going well, and we're working hard to get it to as many customers as quickly as possible, but at this point, we're not able to predict when supply and demand will be in balance." Chief operating officer Sabih Khan gave the same message on the earnings call.

Sold out in half an hour

The iPhone Duo went on sale on October 23, priced at $1,999, after pre-orders opened on October 16. Within about 30 minutes of pre-orders opening, delivery estimates for all eight configurations had slipped to January 25, 2027. More than two weeks later, new orders still show late-January delivery, and stores have had little stock for online reservations.

Apple gave most of its early stock to physical stores. Reports say around 80 percent of the initial inventory went to Apple Stores, leaving online buyers waiting the longest. Smaller stores are said to have received as few as 50 units, while flagship locations got up to 250.

Why Apple can't build them faster

A foldable phone is far harder to make than a regular one. The Duo opens like a book into a tablet-sized screen, with a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display, joined by a hinge that Apple says uses more than 100 components. Earlier reports pointed to manufacturing difficulties with the foldable display and the hinge limiting early output.

The shortage is also eating into replacements. Apple has confirmed that a small number of Duo units have developed cracks in the inner display, and every replacement phone is one that does not go to a new buyer. Rising memory chip costs, driven by demand from the AI industry, are adding further pressure across Apple's whole lineup.

What buyers can do

For now, there is no shortcut: ordering online means waiting until late January, and store stock remains scarce. Apple's message to buyers is that production is ramping up, but the company is not putting a date on when the shortage will end — a sign the iPhone Duo is likely to stay hard to find through the holiday season.

Sources

• MacRumors — Apple's Q4 2026 Earnings Call Takeaways
• Memeburn — Apple Still Can't Say When It'll Have Enough iPhone Duo Units
• TechFeatured — Apple Beat Wall Street but Cannot Make Enough iPhone Duos