Apple Issues Statement on Duo Demand Far Outstripping Supply

Apple unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the Duo, on September 12 with an initial delivery date set for October 23. However, pre-orders opened on October 15 and the delivery timeline swiftly shifted to late January. US mobile carriers also reported delivery delays for new orders. Apple's statement emphasized the extraordinary demand for the Duo, describing it as "nothing short of extraordinary," and vowed to deliver the revolutionary device as quickly as possible.

Hartley Charlton of MacRumors reported that Apple Store employees were instructed to discourage walk-in customers from purchasing the Duo on launch day due to the expected low initial supply. There is uncertainty surrounding the exact quantity of the Duo available for immediate purchase, but the company has not yet clarified the initial stock levels.

Reports from early September indicated that Apple's production capacity had only reached a few hundred Duo devices per day, with further production issues surfacing in late September. Apple's production issues have raised concerns about the feasibility of walk-in purchases and have prompted the company to discourage customers from attempting to camp outside stores on launch day.

Despite the production challenges, Apple has historically delivered on under-promised and over-delivered products. The company expects to increase production significantly in the upcoming months, which could result in some pre-orders being fulfilled before the January 25 deadline.