Apple Store staff reportedly warning customers not to expect iPhone Duo walk-in stock

Breaking News Customers hoping to walk into an Apple Store and buy an iPhone Duo on launch day may be setting themselves up for disappointment, with some retail employees reportedly being told to warn buyers that walk-in stock is unlikely to be available.

MacRumors reports that some Apple Store employees have been advised to discourage customers without pre-orders from visiting on Friday, October 23 expecting to purchase iPhone Duo, with staff told there will likely be no stock available for walk-in sales at the stores concerned.

The guidance is the clearest indication yet that Apple’s first foldable iPhone could be extremely difficult to buy in person on launch day. Apple has publicly said customers can shop for iPhone Duo in-store and arrange Apple Store pickup, but it has not guaranteed that stores will have inventory available for people simply joining a queue and hoping to buy one.

Apple’s online store is currently telling customers to check back on Saturday, October 24 for pickup availability. That does not guarantee stores will receive fresh sellable stock the following day, but it suggests Apple may be planning to make pickup reservations available again after the initial launch rush.

The warning follows concerns that customers lining up for iPhone Duo could leave Apple Stores empty-handed. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had already noted that Apple had not clearly explained whether stores would have day-one walk-in inventory, raising the possibility of customers queuing without knowing whether there would be anything available to purchase.

Supply constraints have been evident since pre-orders opened. Launch-day delivery began disappearing less than 15 minutes after orders opened, while new online orders quickly slipped into 2027.

Apple has since described demand as extraordinary, but manufacturing problems had been expected to limit initial supply even before pre-orders began. Apple has said it is working to get iPhone Duo into customers’ hands as quickly as possible.

For anyone still hoping to secure a device on October 23, the safest approach will be to check Apple’s website or Apple Store app for pickup inventory rather than assuming a physical queue will guarantee a purchase. The Apple Post has a full guide to the best ways to try to get an iPhone Duo on launch day.

iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the United States and £1,999 in the United Kingdom, with the first pre-order deliveries due to arrive on Friday, October 23.