Apple has officially addressed shortages of its foldable iPhone Duo, describing pre-order demand as "extraordinary."

The statement came after the entire initial batch available on Apple's website sold out within hours, pushing estimated delivery dates back to late January 2027.

Despite the shortage, the technology giant, valued at $5 trillion, said it continues to accept online orders for the device, which starts at $1,999.

The iPhone Duo represents a milestone for Apple, marking the most significant design transformation in the history of its best-selling smartphone.

"Pre-order demand for iPhone Duo, our first foldable iPhone, has truly exceeded expectations. We are doing everything we can to bring this revolutionary product to customers as quickly as possible," an Apple representative said.

Under its original schedule, Apple had promised to begin delivering the first iPhone Duo units on October 23.

However, delivery estimates slipping by more than three months, to late January 2027, are almost unprecedented for a newly launched iPhone, particularly for a company renowned for its global supply chain management capabilities.

Even during the severe Covid-19 disruptions of 2022, deliveries of the iPhone 14 lineup were delayed by just over a month at most, following temporary shutdowns at factories in China.

Beyond unexpectedly strong demand, the shortage has also been significantly affected by a global components supply crisis, particularly a shortage of memory chips.

The disruption has constrained production capacity and forced consumer electronics manufacturers to raise prices across their product portfolios.

Similar delivery delays have also been reported through major US telecommunications carriers.

When Apple's new CEO John Ternus unveiled the iPhone Duo last month, analysts initially expected the device to appeal primarily to a niche group of consumers willing to pay a premium.

That expectation was reinforced by the device's high price, with the top-end 2TB configuration costing as much as $3,200.

However, early market demand suggests Apple is benefiting from its increasing focus on premium devices as it enters the crucial year-end holiday shopping quarter.

According to Counterpoint Research, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have recorded stronger initial sales momentum than their predecessors, with particularly robust demand in China and India.

Meanwhile, Apple's Executive Chairman Tim Cook recently confirmed to Chinese media that Apple Intelligence, the company's artificial intelligence suite developed in partnership with Alibaba, has officially received approval from Chinese regulators.

The approval clears the way for Apple Intelligence to launch in the world's second-largest economy, more than two years after the technology was first announced.

Du Lam