Apple reportedly aiming to have up to 8 million iPhone Duo units ready in 2026

Apple is reportedly aiming to have between six million and eight million iPhone Duo units available globally during 2026 as it prepares to launch its first foldable iPhone next month.

The figure gives us one of the clearest indications yet of just how many devices Apple expects to put into the market during the iPhone Duo’s unusually short first year on sale.

According to Chinese publication Jiemian News, citing a source within Apple’s supply chain, the company’s global stocking target for iPhone Duo during 2026 is approximately six million to eight million units.

Apple has not disclosed an official production or sales target for the iPhone Duo, so the figures should be treated as supply-chain estimates rather than confirmed guidance from the company.

A separate source in the retail channel told Jiemian that Apple’s sales guidance for the iPhone Duo exceeds five million units.

The numbers are significantly lower than the volumes associated with Apple’s mainstream flagship iPhones.

Jiemian reports that an individual Pro or Pro Max model can typically ship between 20 million and 30 million units during a full product cycle.

There is an important difference, however. The iPhone Duo won’t go on sale until October 23, leaving Apple a little over two months to sell the device before the end of 2026.

Apple is also positioning the Duo considerably above its conventional iPhone lineup. The device starts at $1,999 in the United States and £1,999 in the United Kingdom, making it the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever released.

The reported six million to eight million unit target also sits above some independent analyst forecasts.

TrendForce estimated earlier this month that Apple would ship approximately five million iPhone Duo units during 2026, enough to capture almost a quarter of the global foldable smartphone market.

Analyst Jeff Pu initially forecast approximately seven million iPhone Duo shipments during the second half of 2026 before reportedly reducing that estimate to six million because of constraints surrounding the device’s hinge.

Taken together, the estimates suggest Apple is preparing for somewhere in the region of five million to eight million iPhone Duo sales or shipments during its first months on the market, although the figures measure slightly different things and shouldn’t be treated as directly interchangeable.

Actually building that many devices could prove challenging.

As The Apple Post reported earlier today, finished-device assembly yields at Foxconn were reportedly only slightly above 60% as of September 17.

Suppliers have also encountered difficulties with foldable OLED panels and components used in the iPhone Duo’s hinge, with reports of low yields, delayed deliveries and design adjustments during the production ramp.

The low yields don’t mean that 40% of iPhone Duo devices reaching customers will be defective. They instead indicate how many units are successfully meeting Apple’s production requirements during manufacturing, with lower yields making it harder to build large quantities quickly.

Apple is reportedly unwilling to significantly relax its quality standards simply to increase output.

The relatively modest production target could therefore be as much about what Apple’s supply chain is capable of producing as it is about how much demand the company expects for a $1,999 foldable iPhone.

Apple will begin accepting iPhone Duo pre-orders in more than 70 countries and regions at 5 a.m. Pacific Time on October 16, before availability begins October 23. A further 28 countries and regions will receive the device on October 30.

Apple announced the iPhone Duo earlier this month as its first foldable iPhone, featuring an outer display alongside a larger screen revealed when the device is unfolded.

Whether Apple ultimately reaches the upper end of the reported eight million-unit stocking target will depend heavily on how quickly suppliers and Foxconn can improve production yields over the coming months.