iPhone Duo: Order Now, Wait Until Late January
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Apple’s first foldable is selling out faster than expected: Anyone who orders the iPhone Duo from Apple in Austria or Germany now will likely not receive it until late January 2027. Shortly after pre-orders opened last Friday, delivery dates in the Apple Online Store slipped well into next year for every model. That is what Mac Life reports for Germany and Apfelpatient for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Every Model Is Affected
It makes no difference which configuration you choose. Whether 256GB in Night Sky or 2TB in Star White, the estimated delivery date is the same for all eight models. That applies in Austria, where the Duo starts at €2,319, as well as in Germany, where it starts at €2,299. We have put together an overview of all prices in our pre-order guide.
Those who placed their orders in the first few minutes, on the other hand, can hope for delivery on the official launch day this coming Friday. According to Apfeltalk, the store initially showed dates in the second half of December shortly after the start, before they jumped to January.
Few Chances in Stores Without a Pre-Order
Heading to an Apple Store is unlikely to help at launch either. According to Apfelpatient, staff are advising customers without a pre-order not to come on launch day, since no devices are expected for walk-in purchases. For pickup, the online store tells customers to check back on the Saturday after launch, when availability can be checked again. There is no guarantee.
The U.S. Is No Better
The situation looks similar in the United States. Apple called demand “nothing short of extraordinary,” and delivery dates there also stretch into January in some cases. Whether this is mainly down to strong interest or production problems remains unclear. According to a report by the Chinese outlet Jiemian, final assembly yields at Foxconn were only slightly above 60 percent in mid-September.
The Alternatives
Anyone unwilling to wait until late January will have to turn to other manufacturers for a foldable. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is similar in size and already on sale. The Xiaomi 18 Fold is officially available only in China so far. Whether carriers such as Telekom, Vodafone, A1 or Magenta can deliver faster than Apple itself is still unclear.
