Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, sold out its initial online allocation within minutes of pre-orders opening on Friday 16 October. The phone officially launches on Friday 23 October, but getting one on day one is becoming increasingly difficult.
Apple's online store has pushed estimated delivery dates into January 2027, while several major UK retailers have sold out of their initial allocations. Some networks have continued to accept pre-orders, although delivery dates are slipping into November and beyond.
Stock and availability
Stock is increasingly limited, but not everywhere. Apple's initial online allocation sold out within minutes, and major retailers including Amazon, Currys, Very and Argos have been listed as out of stock. Other retailers and mobile networks have had varying levels of availability.
If you're set on buying the iPhone Duo, check both outright purchase options and network contracts. Be flexible about colour and storage capacity if you can, and pay attention to the delivery estimate shown at checkout rather than assuming every pre-order will arrive on launch day.
Delivery estimates
The iPhone Duo's official release date is Friday 23 October 2026, but that doesn't mean every new order will arrive then. Orders placed directly with Apple are facing estimates into January 2027, while some network customers may receive their handsets in November or later.
Delivery dates can change as retailers allocate stock, so check the latest estimate before ordering. If you need a phone urgently, look for a provider explicitly confirming launch-day delivery and verify that date at checkout.
Where to pre-order
Availability is changing quickly, so check the latest stock and delivery estimates at each retailer before buying. Mobile networks may be your best bet if Apple's own store is quoting a lengthy wait, but don't assume that a live pre-order page guarantees immediate dispatch.
At the time of writing, Carphone Warehouse is offering the fastest delivery by 12 November. EE and O2 are close behind with delivery within four weeks. The iPhone Duo starts at £1,999 for the 256GB model, rising to £2,199 for 512GB, £2,599 for 1TB and £3,199 for 2TB. With such a substantial investment, it's worth comparing the total cost of any contract against buying the handset outright.
Retailers to check include Apple.com, Carphone Warehouse, John Lewis, Amazon, Argos, O2, EE and Three.
First impressions
Having got an early peek at the Duo, tech critic David Phelan has broken down the key details of the new folding model. "This is a phone shaped and sized roughly like a passport with a 5.4-inch display when closed and a 7.6-inch screen when you open it out. That's almost as big as the original iPad mini, with a similarly shaped display. Apple has introduced special software to make the move from inner to outer screen look especially slick, and has built hardware to reduce the dreaded crease between the two halves of the inner screen to almost nothing."
He adds, "There are two cameras on the Duo, unlike the three-camera Pro models. Despite that, this is the priciest iPhone ever, starting at £1,999, which is at the higher end of what other brands charge for their foldables. The tech required for a multi-screen phone that folds in half always adds cost, and sometimes time."
