Apple Cannot Predict When Iphone Duo Shortages Will Ease
Apple says it is increasing iPhone Duo supply but cannot say when availability will catch up with demand, as customers face deliveries stretching into 2027.
Apple cannot yet say when supply of its new foldable iPhone Duo will catch up with demand. Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan acknowledged the shortage during the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings call on Monday, according to TechCrunch. CEO John Ternus gave a similar assessment in an interview with Reuters reported by The Verge. Both said Apple is working to get more devices to customers, but neither offered a timeline for the delays to end.
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Orders stretch into next year
The Verge reports that Apple launched the iPhone Duo last month at a starting price of $1,999. The device has a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner screen. Preorders quickly sold out, while Apple offered a limited number of units in stores at launch. Some shipments are now expected in 2027, according to The Verge.
TechCrunch likewise reports that customers who did not preorder immediately or buy at an Apple Store are seeing delivery estimates stretch into next year. It says Verizon has offered gift cards to customers as an apology for delays. TechCrunch also cites an October Financial Times report in which Apple described demand as exceptionally strong after the Duo sold out on its website within hours.
Apple is working to increase supply
Khan told investors that production is ramping up, but said it remains difficult to predict when supply and demand will reach a balance, TechCrunch reports. In his Reuters interview, Ternus said Apple was trying to reach as many customers as possible but could not forecast when the constraint would lift, according to The Verge.
TechCrunch reports that Apple is deepening its partnership with Perryman, which supplies titanium for the foldable phone. Ternus also said Apple was pleased with the early response from customers and reviewers, according to TechCrunch. Neither report gives a target date for improved availability.
Memory costs add another pressure
The supply update came alongside questions about rising memory-chip prices. TechCrunch says demand from the AI industry has increased memory costs for hardware makers. The Verge reports that Ternus called current memory pricing unprecedented on Apple’s earnings call and said the company expects costs to rise further in its December quarter. He said recent product price increases would partly offset that pressure.
The reports do not establish that memory costs are the cause of the Duo’s shipping delays. The Verge also reports that Ternus addressed cracked-screen complaints in his Reuters interview, saying a very small share of Duo devices had been returned for that issue and Apple was replacing them. Despite the constraints, Apple reported fourth-quarter iPhone revenue of $57.58 billion, a record, according to The Verge.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.