iPhone Duo sells out in hours as fans queue overnight
Apple's first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, has sold out in hours across major cities, with fans camping out overnight despite limited walk-in stock [1].
Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, has triggered a global frenzy, with stores in London, Sydney, Bangkok, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles reporting sell-outs within hours of launch [1]. The book-style device, unveiled by new CEO John Ternus just over a week after he took charge in September, is available in black and white, starting at £1,999 [2].
In New York, the Fifth Avenue store saw a massive queue form as early as 4:15 a.m., with one customer arriving 18 hours before opening and still only 25th in line [3]. By 10 a.m., the store had sold out of walk-in stock, with only customers holding confirmed pickup orders remaining. Similar scenes unfolded in other US cities, with stores in Dallas, Colorado Springs, and Orlando reporting rapid sell-outs despite early arrivals.
Some locations, like the Manhattan Beach store, managed to serve all in line, while others, such as Century City, sold out before opening [3]. In Ardmore, Pennsylvania, one shopper arrived at 5:45 a.m. only to find the store sold out by 7:30 a.m.. Apple warned in advance that walk-in stock would be limited, a scarcity that only heightened demand.
In the UK, shoppers arrived at 7:30 a.m. at Covent Garden and Battersea Power Station, only to find a reservation system in place — no queues, but no immediate access either [2]. Online orders through Apple’s website are now expected to deliver as late as January 2027 due to overwhelming demand.
The iPhone Duo’s launch marks a major milestone for Apple, coming just months after CEO Tim Cook stepped down after 15 years to become executive chairman [1]. The new CEO, John Ternus, 51, is now steering the company into its most ambitious product launch in years.
Apple has not confirmed whether the scarcity was intentional or a result of supply chain constraints. The company has also not addressed reports of scalpers or families buying multiple units, though one shopper in Pennsylvania complained about parents with babies in strollers securing multiple devices [3].
Sources
This article is based on reporting by the outlets below.
- Daily Mail: iPhone Duo goes on sale around the world: Huge queues form outside Apple Stores in London, Bangkok and Sydney as shoppers race to get their hands on the foldable device
- Mirror: iPhone Duo released today as Apple fans snap up its first foldable smartphone
- New York Post: Apple fanatics line up overnight for new foldable iPhone Duo — but stores sell out within hours
Also reported by: The Independent
