Friday, October 23 is launch day for the iPhone Duo, and Apple has now told people without a pre-order to keep their expectations low at the store. Demand since pre-orders opened has been “extraordinary” in Apple’s own words. Some countries will get a small number of walk-in units on Friday, and Apple expects those to sell out quickly.
These Countries Will Get A Few Walk-In Units
Apple named 14 markets where a limited number of phones will go on sale to people who just turn up:
- US, Canada and Mexico
- UK, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland
- Australia, Singapore and Türkiye
Italy gets some too, at certain stores Apple hasn’t named. Macao is a special case, with walk-in sales on launch day only and limited stock there as well.
Ten Countries Need A Pickup Reservation Instead
France, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the UAE won’t sell the Duo to walk-ins on Friday at all. In those markets you have to book a pickup slot through Apple’s online store.
Booking one looks hard right now. The store page tells shoppers to check back on Saturday, October 24, so a launch-day reservation may not even be possible. Reports also say pickup slots appeared briefly on the site before disappearing again.
Store staff in the US have reportedly been warned to expect no walk-in stock at all, although Mark Gurman has pushed back on the idea of a blanket company order. My read is that a few flagship stores might have a handful, and most won’t.
Apple Has Capped Purchases At Two Per Person
Apple says the walk-in limits help with crowd control and with scalpers. Resellers were flipping confirmed pre-orders for thousands over the retail price within hours of orders opening, so each buyer can now get a maximum of two phones.
Pre-order customers have some better news. Shipping dates that had slipped as far as January are being pulled forward for a lot of people.
The Duo Starts At $1,999 In The US
Pricing is $1,999 in the US, €2,299 in Germany and £1,999 in the UK. Here’s what that money gets:
- 7.6-inch foldable LTPO OLED inside (1878×2670, 120Hz)
- 5.4-inch LTPO OLED cover screen (1398×2034, 120Hz)
- A20 Pro chip, 12GB RAM, up to 2TB storage
- 48MP main camera with sensor-shift OIS, 48MP ultrawide
- 12MP selfie camera on the cover and a 4MP under-display camera inside
- 4,883mAh battery with 25W MagSafe and Qi2 charging
- IP68 rating, iOS 27.1
US buyers who missed pre-orders could try carriers or Best Buy, which some outlets think may get stock to people sooner than an Apple Store queue on Friday morning.
