Apple has reportedly instructed assembler Foxconn and its component suppliers to raise the 12-month shipment target for the iPhone Duo by 44%, lifting planned output from 9.7 million to 14 million units. The reported order boost came one day before the $1,999 foldable iPhone reaches stores on Friday. Apple has not confirmed the figures.

Preorders sold out in minutes

Apple opened preorders for the iPhone Duo on October 16, and the device sold out in record time. Within minutes, delivery estimates slipped past the October 23 launch date and stretched as far back as late January, according to CBS News.

Max Weinbach of research firm Creativestrat wrote on X that the device sold out at every store near New York and Connecticut within three minutes.

To curb resale activity, Apple limited purchases to two units per customer. The cap has done little to slow resellers, however: Yahoo Finance found eBay listings for the Duo, including unfulfilled preorders, priced above $4,000 — roughly double the $1,999 starting price of the 256 GB model.

A 44% production increase amid conflicting forecasts

DigiTimes reported on October 22, citing supply-chain sources, that Apple had asked Foxconn and its other component suppliers to increase production by 44% to 14 million units over the next 12 months. 9to5Mac corroborated the report, noting that Apple had described preorder demand as “extraordinary” — a term frequently used around iPhone launches.

Other estimates sit well below 14 million units. JPMorgan analysts expect Apple to sell between 8 million and 9 million Duos in 2026, according to CNBC. China’s Securities Times reported that supply would remain below 10 million units through the end of the year, despite an earlier 30% increase in orders. Dan Ives, a partner at Yorkville Ives, projected sales of about 10 million units over the next few quarters, rising as high as 25 million in 2027.

Limited walk-in stock and reviewer reservations

Buyers without a preorder may struggle to secure a device. An Apple spokesperson said stores would carry limited stock of the Duo for walk-in customers and that the phones were expected to sell out quickly.

In Macau, where the Duo is set to be sold only in stores, customers began queuing hours before sales opened, according to Reuters.

Early reviews praised the Duo’s hinge and hardware but cited drawbacks, including the absence of a telephoto camera and third-party apps that are not yet well adapted to the larger display. Reviewers also noted a specific inconvenience when completing quick tasks while holding the phone in a folded position. In its review, 9to5Mac flagged app support as a key issue, while adding that Apple is already testing a second-generation Duo with Face ID.

Why November 2 matters more than launch day

The Duo represents Apple’s biggest iPhone redesign since the device launched in 2007, with major implications for the company’s business. The iPhone generated $209.58 billion of Apple’s $416.16 billion in fiscal 2025 revenue, while Services brought in $109.15 billion, according to Yahoo Finance. iPhone alone accounted for roughly half of Apple’s top line — a scale that explains why a single model’s output plan draws close attention from analysts and supply-chain trackers.

The Duo’s launch will not affect Apple’s fiscal fourth-quarter results, due November 2, because the September quarter closed before the phone went on sale. Its sales will instead count toward the December quarter.

Loop Capital recently lowered its rating on Apple to Hold from Buy, arguing that the company will not recover the sales lost from planned iPhone production cuts in the second half of the year. Apple shares closed at $348.30 on October 22, up 1.25%.

IDC, however, expects Apple to capture 44% of the foldable phone market’s value in 2026 despite accounting for 31% of unit sales — a value share running ahead of its unit share, consistent with the device’s $1,999 starting price. The research firm also expects the company to lead the market by 2027. In the nearer term, delivery estimates — already stretching to late January — and remaining walk-in stock will be the most visible demand indicators until Duo sales start flowing into Apple’s reported results with the December quarter.