Apple customers ordering the new iPhone Duo have been warned they could face a wait of several months, with the earliest delivery date reportedly pushed back to January within hours of pre-orders opening.
Pre-orders for Apple’s first foldable iPhone opened at 1pm on Friday, October 16, with the company initially promising that the first handsets would begin shipping from October 23.
However, by around 3pm, the earliest shipping date shown on Apple’s website was reportedly January 22, 2027, with every colour and storage configuration affected.
Customers took to social media to complain about long queues, website problems and rapidly changing delivery dates.
One customer said their delivery date moved from October 23 to November 9 while completing the order, while others reported being unable to access Apple’s online store because of demand.
O2 customers also report problems
The apparent demand has also affected O2, with customers reporting online queues and difficulties completing pre-orders for the new handset.
One customer complained that the queue appeared to be paused, preventing them from ordering.
O2 responded that the iPhone launch was experiencing “extremely high demand”, which could lead to significantly longer wait times and make progress through its ordering system appear slower. Pasted text
iPhone Duo prices start at £1,999
The iPhone Duo starts at £1,999 for 256GB, rising to £2,199 for 512GB, £2,599 for 1TB and £3,199 for 2TB.
It is available in Star White and Night Sky and features a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch folding inner display.
Apple says the handset uses its A20 Pro chip and supports multitasking across the folding display. The screen also supports Apple Pencil, according to the company.
The handset weighs 254g and measures 11.3mm thick when folded and 5.2mm when open.
The reported January availability represents a dramatic shift from the October 23 launch-day shipping date, although delivery estimates can vary depending on the time an order was placed and stock allocated by Apple.
