Thought Leadership
Apple’s first foldable iPhone costs $1,999. According to 9to5Mac, new orders will not be shipped until late January 2027.
Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, sold out in all configurations on October 16 within minutes of pre-orders opening, reports the tech portal 9to5Mac. For all color and storage combinations, Apple in the US is now showing January 25, 2027, as the estimated delivery date, with some users even seeing January 29. The iPhone Duo is priced at $1,999 in the United States. The report contains no details regarding pricing or delivery times in Germany.
iPhone Duo: High Demand, Few Devices
According to 9to5Mac, the lengthy delivery times are attributable to high demand and severely limited supply. It is not possible to determine the exact proportion of each factor. Prior to the launch, several reports had already pointed to tight availability as Apple was still ramping up production. The Japanese business newspaper Nikkei Asia reported in September that Apple was manufacturing only a few hundred units per day. That is significantly below the production pace typically seen during the launch of a conventional iPhone model. Apple has not commented on production volumes.
Market Under Pressure
The market debut comes during a difficult phase for the smartphone industry. According to Counterpoint Research, global shipments fell by 20 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2026, primarily due to sharp increases in memory chip prices. As a result, manufacturers are increasingly concentrating on premium, high-priced devices. According to Counterpoint, Apple achieved a market share of 22 percent in the third quarter. Samsung was in the lead with 23 percent, supported in part by demand for its foldable Galaxy Z Fold8 model.
(Editorial Team)
