iPhone Duo pre-orders have been plagued by familiar Apple Store problems, with customers reporting errors, slow loading and failed checkout attempts as huge numbers of buyers rushed to order Apple’s first foldable iPhone.
Apple officially opened iPhone Duo pre-orders at 5 a.m. PT / 8 a.m. ET in the United States and 1 p.m. BST in the UK on Friday, but the experience was far from smooth for some customers. Users reported that the Apple Store did not return online at the scheduled time for everyone, while others were met with slow-loading pages and errors as they tried to complete their orders.
One of the messages reported by customers using Apple’s advance ordering process read: “Your check in window is no longer available,” leaving some buyers who had prepared their order ahead of time unable to move directly through the checkout flow as expected.
The problems came despite Apple encouraging customers to prepare in advance. Earlier this week, the company allowed buyers to choose their preferred iPhone Duo configuration, accessories, trade-in and payment options through its Get Ready process before pre-orders opened. Apple had specifically promoted the saved configuration process as a way to make checkout faster during the pre-order rush.
Apple’s online store had already been taken offline several hours before ordering began as the company prepared for the launch. The Apple Post reported on the Apple Store shutdown ahead of pre-orders, with Apple promising customers that ordering would begin at the scheduled time.
Apple itself confirmed the 5 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. BST opening time in its iPhone Duo pre-order announcement, saying customers could place orders through apple.com and the Apple Store app. The company has not announced a widespread outage or provided an explanation for the individual errors being reported.
The ordering issues arrived at the worst possible time for customers hoping to secure the earliest delivery dates. iPhone Duo pre-orders are now officially open, but availability has been moving quickly as customers compete for the first wave of stock.
Supply had already been expected to be tight. Apple was reportedly concerned earlier this year that manufacturing challenges could force the iPhone Duo launch into November before production improved enough to preserve the October 23 release. Those production concerns highlighted how constrained the first iPhone Duo launch could be.
Apple also reportedly increased iPhone Duo orders by 30% ahead of pre-orders, suggesting the company had moved to strengthen supply before customers were able to place paid orders.
The combination of technical problems and rapidly changing availability made the first minutes of iPhone Duo pre-orders especially frustrating for some buyers. Customers who successfully reached checkout were competing for launch-day stock while others were still waiting for the Apple Store to load or trying to get past error messages.
iPhone Duo officially launches Friday, October 23, when the first pre-orders are due to reach customers and the device goes on sale in Apple Stores. The phone starts at $1,999 in the United States and £1,999 in the UK.