Gurman says Apple made a ‘major mistake’ launching iPhone Duo pre-orders so early

Breaking News Apple may have badly misjudged the timing of iPhone Duo pre-orders, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman arguing that the company made a “major mistake” by opening orders before it had enough inventory to meet demand.

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple knew iPhone Duo would face severe supply constraints caused by manufacturing challenges but still pushed ahead with pre-orders on October 16 rather than waiting for inventory to build.

According to Gurman, Apple appears to have prioritized getting iPhone Duo onto the market early in its fiscal first quarter, even though that decision risked frustrating the early adopters most eager to buy the company’s first foldable iPhone.

The shortage became obvious almost immediately. Launch-day delivery disappeared for some iPhone Duo configurations in less than 15 minutes, and new orders quickly slipped into January 2027.

Gurman also reports that Apple originally planned to launch iPhone Duo only in the United States and China before expanding to additional markets later. Instead, the company opened pre-orders across more than 70 countries and regions at the same time, spreading a constrained pool of inventory across a much wider launch.

That decision is particularly notable because Apple had already been aware of production difficulties. The Apple Post previously examined whether iPhone Duo’s long wait times were being driven by high demand, low supply or a combination of both, with the available evidence pointing to both factors playing a role.

Apple has since publicly described iPhone Duo demand as extraordinary. The company says it is working to get the device to customers as quickly as possible, although that does not change the fact that many buyers ordering now are being shown delivery estimates months beyond launch day.

The launch-day situation could become even more difficult for customers who missed the first preorder wave. Apple Store employees are reportedly warning customers not to expect walk-in iPhone Duo stock on October 23, potentially removing one of the last obvious routes to getting the device immediately.

Apple has not said how many iPhone Duo units it had available when pre-orders began, and long delivery estimates can move forward if production improves or orders are canceled. For now, however, the launch has left Apple facing an unusual problem: enormous interest in one of its most expensive iPhones, but nowhere near enough immediately available inventory to satisfy it.