Apple unsure when more foldable iPhones will be available after selling out

Apple's new CEO John Ternus expressed excitement over the swift success of the company's newly released foldable iPhone Duo, which quickly sold out after its launch just over a week ago. Despite the initial popularity, some buyers have experienced cracked screens. John Kahn, Apple's new chief operating officer, stated that the company is currently unsure when additional Duos will be made available due to the high demand.

During a call with financial analysts, Kahn emphasized that predicting when supply and demand would be balanced proved to be difficult at the moment. Apple did not reveal any issues with the iPhone Duo during the call, but last week, the company announced a plan to replace any phones impacted by a defect causing a small number of phones to crack along the inside fold.

Apple has reported record-breaking global iPhone sales for the year, with sales rising by 17% in the three months leading up to September, reaching $57 billion. The company had also noted that Mac computer and iPad sales had grown by 27% and 10%, respectively, during the same period. However, sales of Apple's wearable products, including headphones and watches, saw a decline of 10% and 7%, respectively.

Kahn mentioned that most Apple devices still face supply constraints, primarily due to difficulties in obtaining advanced microprocessors necessary for optimal device performance. These components are primarily manufactured by Taiwan-based TSMC. Both the iPad and Apple's wearable products, including headphones and watches, are expected to continue facing supply constraints throughout the next year, particularly impacting iPads and Macs.

The company has been grappling with unexpected demand and soaring costs for memory storage, which has been driven by recent interest in AI chatbots and platforms. As a result, Apple has raised prices on its hardware by around 20%.