Want an iPhone Duo This Year? You Might Be Out of Luck

Everyone seemingly wants to get their hands on the new iPhone Duo. Pre-orders opened on Friday, and within minutes, delivery estimates had slipped by weeks. Now, prospective buyers are exploring alternatives to secure Apple's first foldable iPhone on launch day - but they might already be out of luck.

iPhone Duo demand is through the roof

iPhone Duo is experiencing very high demand, as it is the first ever foldable iPhone. The £2,000 price tag didn't put people off, as many people descended upon the Apple website to try and pre-order the device.

Delivery dates are slipping into 2027

Everything Apple was watching the Apple Online store as pre-orders opened at 1PM BST on Friday.

Making our way to the iPhone Duo order page just minutes past one, we found delivery dates were already showing late November to early December, over a month’s wait for the new foldable.

However, those who secured one of these dates are the lucky ones, as after about half an hour dates had officially slipped into 2027, with despatch dates as late as the 25th of January. This was for all configurations, not just the cheaper and likely more popular 256GB base model.

Apple releases a statement

Apple released a statement to CNBC on Friday night, calling demand "extraordinary" and said that they are still accepting orders as they try to speed up iPhone Duo's availability:

“We are working hard to get this revolutionary new product into customers’ hands as quickly as possible, and we will continue accepting orders online,”

Apple has not confirmed whether existing delivery estimates will improve, however, so customers ordering now should be prepared for a lengthy wait.

Third-party retailers also struggling with demand

If you miss Apple pre-orders, you can usually get your hands on the new device from a third-party retailer, such as Amazon, John Lewis or Currys. However, stock is limited across all the major retailers this time round.

Major British Department Store John Lewis says that: "Pre-orders are now sold out. Available to buy from 20 November 2026."

Elsewhere, Amazon UK has a Night Sky, 1TB model available to pre-order, though the delivery date is unclear.

Electronics retailer Currys, Online retailers Argos and AO are all out of stock, with no estimated delivery dates.

Mobile networks are warning of lengthy delivery delays

Buying through a mobile network doesn't mean you'll get your iPhone Duo any sooner. EE, O2, Three and Vodafone are all accepting orders, but their delivery estimates suggest customers could face a substantial wait.

EE says dispatch will take more than 28 days, while O2 warns that delivery will take more than four weeks.

Three is displaying an expected restock date of 14 January 2027. Vodafone also lists the device as in stock, but its delivery information points to 14 January 2027 for orders placed before 13 January.

While customers can still place orders through these networks, anyone hoping to receive their device sooner may need to explore other options.

Quick availability guide

UK availability checked on 18 October 2026, times could change

✅ Amazon - Limited Stock

⏳ John Lewis - November 2026

❌ Currys - Out of stock

❌ AO - Out of stock

❌ Argos - Out of stock

⏳ EE - At least 1 month wait

⏳ O2 - At least 4 weeks wait

⏳ Vodafone - January 2027

⏳ Three - January 2027

Apple employees reportedly told to discourage walk-ins

The advice usually is that if you didn't get your iPhone during online pre-orders, camp outside your local Apple Store to get the device on availability day. This time around however, it is unclear if this will work as Apple retail employees have reportedly been told to discourage walk-in customers for iPhone Duo.

MacRumors reports that Apple retail employees told them that there may not be stock for walk-in customers, and say that some customers may be disappointed on the day.

Apple Store employees told MacRumors that they have been advised that there will likely be no ‌iPhone Duo‌ stock available for walk-in purchases on launch day. Staff have been instructed to discourage customers without pre-orders from coming in expecting to buy the device, warning that they will be disappointed.

This report appears to concern Apple's retail operations in the US, and it remains unclear whether the same guidance applies to UK stores. However, Everything Apple's checks of UK retailers and mobile networks suggest that availability is already severely constrained.

So, if you do plan on camping outside an Apple Store, be prepared to leave empty-handed.

Final Thoughts

If you want the iPhone Duo this year, and have already secured a delivery date before the end of December, you might have to just accept this date. Order backlog is already pushed to late January, so it might be a risky move to cancel and try re-order elsewhere.

You might have a slim chance by attending an Apple Store opening on Friday, but don't set your expectations too high. The current reality is that iPhone Duo is facing limited availability almost everywhere, and some people may be opening their new iPhone Duo more than three months after release.