Apple's iPhone Duo, priced from $1,999, has sold out, and chief executive John Ternus says the company cannot yet tell buyers when supply will catch up with demand. The foldable went on sale on October 23, just over a week before Ternus addressed the shortage on Monday, November 2.
"The ramp is going well, and we're working hard to get it to as many customers as quickly as possible, but at this point, we're not able to predict when supply and demand will be in balance," Ternus told Reuters after Apple's earnings results. He took over from Tim Cook in September, making the shortage one of the issues facing him during his first earnings appearance as chief executive.
Read more: Apple Warns Mac Mini and Mac Studio Shortages Will Last Several Months Due to AI Demand
Buyers Face January Deliveries
Orders placed on November 2 carried January delivery estimates, according to MacRumors. Store inventory for reservations made online was also scarce, giving buyers another limited route to securing the phone. The iPhone Duo drew lines outside Apple stores in October as online inventory ran out.
The phone combines an outside display measuring 5.4 inches with a folding inner screen measuring 7.6 inches, and storage choices run from 256GB to 2TB. Its larger display can show two apps together, including separate windows of the same app.
Screen Problems Bring Replacements
Some customers have reported screens cracking since the iPhone Duo reached buyers, with the damage occurring along the inside fold. Ternus said "a very small percentage" of units have been returned for display issues.
The shortage follows a year in which Apple said it sold more iPhones worldwide than in any previous year. Revenue from iPhones reached $57 billion in the three months ending September 26, an increase of 17%. That period ended before customers could buy the Duo, so those figures exclude the new foldable.
Apple's September quarter generated revenue of $114.5 billion, setting a record for that quarter and rising 12% from a year earlier. Chief operating officer Sabih Khan said most Apple devices are still supply constrained, partly because advanced chips are hard to get, and that the problem should continue into next year, especially for iPads and Macs.
For owners experiencing problems with the inner display, Apple directed customers to AppleCare after acknowledging the issue last week. The company is providing replacement devices to affected customers.
