Even before the Foldable iPhone was announced, it was one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year, even eclipsing the iPhone 18 Pro. After months of whispers about major production issues and delays, the phone is finally expected to launch later this month, but it’s unlikely to be the soft premiere the foldable deserves.
The iPhone Duo might be difficult to buy
Apple will likely face many obstacles with sales of its first Foldable iPhone. According to Apple insider Mark Gurman, the company will have to manage very limited inventory once the iPhone Duo premieres.In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman says anyone who wants to get their hands on the foldable phone should “plan ahead”. There is a high probability that the production of iPhone Duo will not be able to meet expected demand, almost certainly leading to delivery delays shortly after pre-orders open.
The foldable iPhone is launched earlier than expected even by Apple
iPhone Duo pre-orders will open on Friday. | Apple Picture
These difficulties are not new for Apple. Just two months ago, the company reportedly expected to be able to launch the iPhone Duo later in November. However, it appears that the company managed to achieve enough inventory to have a somewhat limited release in October. We have heard about the various production issues with the Foldable iPhonewhich have accumulated in recent months. Previous reports suggested there was not one particular area where production was stagnating, but multiple challenges piling up. According to the most recent reports, final assembly yields of the device were at just over 60% as of mid-September, and it could take up to a year for production to reach mature yield. This is partly due to Apple’s quality requirements, which some suppliers expected to relax in order to speed up production. Reddit users are quite divided on the question of whether the iPhone Duo It’s even worth the wait. While many people say they are waiting for a foldable phone from Apple, others are not sure that there is more than the novelty.
Some editors decided against buying an iPhone Duo. | Image from Reddit (screenshot
It’s already a limited version
Even after resolving some of its production issues, Apple had to limit the release of the iPhone Duo. The company will launch the foldable in “more than 70 countries” on October 23 and in 28 other markets on October 30. iPhone Duo in the USA start this Friday October 16 and you can already prepare your pre-order. Apple is allowing anyone considering the phone to select their Duo’s color, storage, carrier options, AppleCare+ plans, and trade-in, and have it ready for pre-orders to open.
This will allow customers to place their pre-order with the touch of a button, instead of going through a lengthy, rushed process. Given the limited inventory, this could prove crucial for anyone looking to get a iPhone Duo as soon as possible.
Samsung hasn’t put as much emphasis on pre-orders of the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8 when they launch in August. Despite its own production challenges, the Korean company has enough experience in manufacturing Foldable phones don’t face the same problems as their main competitor.
The iPhone Duo will surely be an early success
Apple will surely benefit from explosive initial sales for the iPhone Duobut that doesn’t mean the foldable will dominate the market in the long term. I don’t think this will be a failure for the company, but I’m very curious how things will go once the initial excitement wears off.
Gn tech
