Apple’s First Foldable iPhone Goes on Sale, Sells Out Within Minutes

Apple launched its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, in 70 countries and regions on October 23. Although the device hit shelves Friday morning, it sold out within minutes of the doors opening at many stores. Some locations ran out of stock before they even opened. The starting price is $1,999 (approximately 3,400 manat).

Shoppers formed long lines outside stores across the country. A line began forming on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue at 17:00 on October 21. At 03:00 on October 23, more than 50 people were waiting there. Some placed buckets in line to hold their spots. More than 40 shoppers gathered outside a store in Kentucky 3 hours before it opened. When orders opened, the version with 256 GB of storage was already sold out.

At the Huntington store, the first customer joined the line at 18:00 on October 22 and was able to preorder the device. Orders opened at 15:00 on October 23. Just 30 minutes later, the store announced that it had run out of stock. Each customer may purchase no more than 2 devices. It is not known when new inventory will arrive at stores. Shipments of online orders to some addresses may be delayed until January 29.

The iPhone Duo allows users to split the screen and use 2 apps at the same time. A person being photographed can see the image on a separate screen. The model also works with Apple Pencil. A Touch ID fingerprint sensor has been installed instead of Face ID. Although preorders opened on October 16, the delivery queue quickly extended into the beginning of next year. The device has a matte inner display, while the inner camera is located under the screen.

Apple also shared footage showing the start of iPhone Duo sales at the Apple Store Jing’an in Shanghai. The company has expanded the list of apps optimized for the iPhone Duo. Netflix, Prime Video and Paramount+ work across both screens, as well as in the phone’s half-folded tabletop mode. Zoom, Slack, Salesforce, Instagram and VLLO have also been optimized for the device. Games optimized for the iPhone Duo include Asphalt Legends, Zenless Zone Zero and UnGodly.

According to initial reviews, the Touch ID sensor may be difficult to reach depending on how the device is held. Users must also keep their finger on the sensor for a certain amount of time to unlock it. Apple is already testing the next-generation iPhone Duo 2 with an under-display Face ID system. The dot projector and infrared camera must be made smaller for this feature to be ready next year. The new model is also expected to have an Action button.