Apple retail employees have reportedly been instructed to discourage customers from visiting stores to purchase the iPhone Duo without a pre-order on its October 23 launch day, as the company faces significant supply constraints.
According to MacRumors, some Apple Store employees said they had been advised that stock for walk-in purchases would likely be unavailable on launch day. Staff were reportedly told to manage customer expectations and discourage visits from those hoping to buy the foldable device without a reservation.
The guidance appears to reflect limited inventory for Apple’s first foldable iPhone. However, it remains unclear whether the warning applies worldwide or how consistently stores will enforce it.
Apple Directs Customers to Check Pickup Availability
Apple’s online store is advising customers to check again on Saturday, October 24, for pickup availability. Pickup reservations briefly appeared when pre-orders opened but were subsequently disabled.
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The message does not guarantee that devices will be available for collection on October 24. Apple has also not publicly confirmed whether any retail locations will have units available for customers making in-person purchases on launch day.
If the reported guidance is widely implemented, customers without pre-orders may have few opportunities to obtain the device before existing online delivery estimates.
Production Challenges Limit Launch Inventory
Reports of supply constraints emerged months before Apple announced the iPhone Duo.
In early September, Nikkei Asia reported that production had reached only a few hundred devices per day in late August. Further manufacturing problems were reported later that month.
Earlier in October, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman reported that Apple had considered delaying sales until November because of production constraints.
The company ultimately assembled enough inventory to proceed with the October 23 launch, but supplies remained limited.
Pre-Orders Sell Out Rapidly
The extent of the shortage became clearer when pre-orders opened earlier this week. Delivery estimates reportedly moved beyond launch day within minutes. Within 30 minutes, all configurations in Apple’s US online store were showing shipping estimates of January 25.
According to MacRumors, the device had effectively sold out through Apple’s online store for the Christmas period.
Apple described demand for the iPhone Duo as “nothing short of extraordinary” in a statement to the Financial Times, adding that it was working to deliver devices to customers as quickly as possible.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the United States, with the first pre-order deliveries scheduled for October 23.
Apple has yet to publicly clarify how many devices, if any, will be available for walk-in purchases at its stores on launch day.
