Foldable iPhone Duo sells out as Apple cites extraordinary demand

Apple stated that pre-order demand for the foldable iPhone Duo was extraordinary after the device sold out online until next year within hours of going on sale. Delivery times for the Duo slipped from the originally promised date of October 23 to late January within hours of orders opening.

What the story says

• Apple said it would continue taking online orders for the device, which costs upwards of $1,999 and was introduced last month by new chief executive John Ternus.

  The $5tn tech group said it would continue to accept online orders for the phone, which costs upwards of $1,999 and was unveiled last month by new chief executive John Ternus.

• The Duo model can cost up to $3,200 with maximum storage capacity.

  The Duo can cost as much as $3,200 with maximum storage, a record price for an iPhone.

• A report from Counterpoint Research stated that iPhone 18 Pro models experienced a stronger launch than their predecessors, especially in China and India.

  According to a report from market intelligence firm Counterpoint Research this week, iPhone 18 Pro models saw a “stronger launch than their predecessors”, particularly in China and India.

• Apple executive chair Tim Cook told Chinese media that regulators approved the company’s Apple Intelligence AI features co-developed with Alibaba.

  This week, Apple executive chair Tim Cook told Chinese media that the company’s suite of Apple Intelligence AI features, co-developed with Alibaba, had finally been approved by regulators, paving the way for its launch in the country more than two years after it was first announced.

• The iPhone still accounts for approximately half of Apple’s sales two decades after its initial introduction.

  The Duo marks the biggest-ever design shake-up for Apple’s best-selling smartphone, which still accounts for about half of the company’s sales two decades after it was introduced.