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Apple said Friday that its foldable iPhone Duo has seen “simply extraordinary” demand, with the device being sold on the company’s website until next year within hours of going on sale.
The $5 trillion technology group said it would continue to accept online orders for the phone, which costs more than $1,999 and was unveiled last month by new Chief Executive John Ternus.
The Duo marks the biggest design overhaul ever for Apple’s best-selling smartphone, which still accounts for about half of the company’s sales two decades after its launch.
But like the rest of the consumer electronics industry, Apple has faced component supply shortages – particularly in memory chips – this year that have caused it to fall behind demand and raise prices across its entire lineup.
Apple had initially promised to deliver the Duo by October 23, but within hours of orders opening, delivery times through Apple’s website had fallen to the end of January. US mobile carriers have also seen delivery times for new orders pushed back.
“Pre-order demand for iPhone Duo, our first foldable iPhone, has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Apple said in a statement.
“We are working hard to get this revolutionary new product into the hands of customers as quickly as possible,” the statement added.
It is rare for Apple product delivery times to deviate to this extent. The company is known for efficiently managing its global supply chain.
During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022, some shipments of its iPhone 14 models were delayed by more than a month due to factory shutdowns in China, but a months-long delay for an iPhone is almost unheard of.
When the Duo was unveiled last month, analysts expected it to target a relatively small group of high-end customers willing to pay a premium.
Apple has launched new models for the iPhone, including last year’s ultra-thin iPhone Air, in an effort to give customers with aging devices a reason to upgrade.
The Duo can cost up to $3,200 with max storage, a record price for an iPhone. The latest iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which went on sale last month, also saw strong sales as Apple heads into its critical holiday quarter, despite the overall global smartphone market contracting.
According to a report released this week by market intelligence firm Counterpoint Research, the iPhone 18 Pro models saw a “stronger launch than their predecessors,” particularly in China and India.
This week, Apple Executive Chairman 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.
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