Overview
- Preorders that opened on October 16 sold out quickly and many delivery estimates were pushed into 2027 while Apple says it will hold only limited iPhone Duo stock for walk-in customers and will begin shipping to a small set of early buyers for arrival on Friday, October 23.
- Early reviews widely praise the Duo’s engineering, highlighting a well‑made hinge, a low‑glare matte 7.6‑inch inner OLED and a useful 5.4‑inch cover screen that opens flat for tablet-style use.
- Critics also point to clear trade-offs: Apple dropped Face ID for a side‑mounted Touch ID sensor, omitted a dedicated telephoto camera, and reviewers flagged the phone’s roughly 254‑gram weight and uneven third‑party app optimization for the larger screen.
- Apple’s constrained inventory reflects hard manufacturing limits, with reports of low yields for foldable OLED panels and complex hinge assembly that support the company’s approach to sell the Duo as a high‑margin, low‑volume halo product starting at $1,999.
- Rivals are responding: Samsung says interest in its foldables has risen since the Duo’s announcement and leaks indicate the company may expand its foldable model range next year, a move that could speed app updates and push down prices over time.