If you decide to preorder the iPhone Duo, brace for a three-month wait to receive your device.
Preorders for the foldable phone opened this morning at 5 a.m. PT/8 a.m. ET. But in some bad news for those hoping to get their new smartphone ahead of the holidays, Apple’s website shows that newly placed orders won’t arrive until Jan. 25.
(Credit: Apple)
The long backorder suggests the Duo saw a surge in early demand despite its high price. In the days leading up to preorders opening, Apple allowed eager consumers to prepare for checkout in advance, and it looks like many took advantage of the process.
The other issue is that initial supplies for the iPhone Duo are likely very limited due to reported production woes. On Reddit, one user reported trying to preorder the product early today wrote: “I was in there instantly and the earliest possible delivery date I got was late December. Feels like this was preordained.”
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That said, interested customers should check out the preorder deals from carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile, which show shipment dates for November and December.
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The long wait is causing some resellers to swoop in. On eBay, you can already find some people hawking their own successful iPhone Duo preorders that are slated to arrive on launch day, Oct. 23, or in the days after. The only catch? Expect to pay up to $5,000, even though the Duo starts at $1,999.
(Credit: eBay)
The early demand is at least one bright spot for the smartphone industry, which has been hit hard by the memory shortage. In Q3, global smartphone shipments fell 22% year-on-year, “marking the highest YoY decline to date of any quarter,” according to research firm IDC.
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Principal Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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