【Epoch Times, October 23, 2026】Apple’s first foldable screen phone, the iPhone Duo, officially went on sale on Friday, October 23, with strong market demand. Scenes of customers lining up outside Apple stores to wait for the new iPhone were once again witnessed in various parts of the world.
After pre-orders opened last Friday, due to demand far exceeding supply, the estimated delivery date for the iPhone Duo was pushed back to late January within minutes. Apple described the enthusiasm of consumers as “extraordinary.”
On the release day, the first batch of iPhone Duo products had started arriving at Apple retail stores worldwide. Meanwhile, for those customers who placed their orders early to ensure receiving the product on the launch day, deliveries to their homes were also underway.
The release of the iPhone Duo brought back a familiar sight: long queues outside Apple stores. In recent years, with ample inventory prepared by retailers like Apple, Best Buy, and mobile carriers, most iPhone orders could be fulfilled through home delivery or in-store pickup, leading to the disappearance of the queueing phenomenon.
However, this time was different. With the very limited supply during the pre-order phase of the iPhone Duo, many customers hoping to get their hands on the device on launch day had no choice but to line up at local stores to see if there were any available in stock. Apple had set aside a small amount of inventory specifically for these customers in some countries worldwide.
At Apple’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, dozens of customers who hadn’t pre-ordered were already lining up outside the store on Thursday evening. Similar queueing situations were also observed in Asia and Australia.
Reuters reported that in Sydney, customers were already queuing outside the Apple retail store before it opened at 8 a.m. local time on Friday.
Simon Krishnan, a 48-year-old engineer, spent 3,899 Australian dollars (around 2,734 US dollars) to purchase a 512GB storage capacity iPhone Duo.
He said, “To me, this can be considered a luxury item because it is indeed very expensive. But then I thought — life is short, why worry too much?”
The limited supply of the iPhone Duo may leave “Apple fans” who lined up outside Apple stores feeling disappointed. Apple told Reuters that the in-store stock availability varies by country; inventory is very limited in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Mexico, as well as most regions in the U.K. and Europe. In China, France, Hong Kong, India, and Japan, it is only available to customers who have ordered online.
In Macau, the iPhone Duo is only available for sale to in-store customers. Social media posts and media reports showed fans queuing outside the store hours before it opened.
According to IDC’s vice president Francisco Jeronimo, “Foldable screen phones have existed as a product category for many years, but their adoption rate compared to traditional smartphones is still relatively low. Apple’s entry into the market may expand the reach of this type of product to a broader user base.”
The iPhone series is Apple’s most important revenue pillar, accounting for about half of its income. The iPhone Duo represents the largest design overhaul in the product line’s nearly twenty-year history. While Apple isn’t the first to introduce a foldable screen phone, with this finely-crafted product tailored for “Apple fans,” the company is poised to gain an advantage in the market.
IDC predicts that by 2026, Apple will hold a 31% sales share in the foldable screen phone market and contribute 44% of market sales. By 2027, IDC forecasts that Apple will become the leader in this niche market, topping both sales revenue and shipment volume.
After experiencing the iPhone Duo for a week, Jeronimo praised, “Apple has provided convincing reasons for this product form.”
“The next challenge is to translate this excitement into the actual supply and adoption of the product, opening a lasting new chapter for the smartphone market,” Jeronimo concluded.