Thought Leadership
Ahead of the market launch on October 23, Apple is restricting pre-orders of the foldable iPhone. The move is suspected to be a measure against resellers.
Apple is limiting purchases of its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, to two units per customer. This is according to a notice published by a user on Reddit. Cybernews verified the limitation during an order placed via a smartphone. The iPhone Duo will hit stores on October 23 and is available for pre-order until then. In the US, prices start at 1,999 US dollars.
“A maximum of 2 iPhone Duo units can be purchased per customer. Please adjust the total number of iPhone Duo in your order before checking out.”
Apple
Initially in Asia, Now Also in the US
According to MacRumors, such a restriction initially applied in locations including China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, but not in the US. In the meantime, users in the US are also reporting that they can no longer add more than two devices to their shopping cart. Whether the limit also applies in Germany is unknown. Apple has not commented on the restriction.
It is suspected that Apple wants to curb reselling with this step. South Korean industry insider Lanzuk also pointed this out, considering an expansion of such restrictions in the future possible. Users on Reddit suspect that reseller bots could have acquired dozens of units per order. There is no evidence for this.
iPhone Duo: Long Delivery Times
The iPhone Duo sold out in all configurations on October 16 within minutes of pre-orders opening. According to 9to5Mac, Apple in the US subsequently displayed January 25, 2027, as the estimated delivery date. Meanwhile, users report that Apple has moved up some delivery dates. The Japanese business newspaper Nikkei Asia reported in September that Apple was initially manufacturing only a few hundred units per day.
(Editorial Team)
