We’re just hours away from the iPhone Duo officially going on sale here in the United States, specifically in the New York–New Jersey time zone, and it’s clear Apple’s first-ever folding phone is proving popular.
Just minutes after the iPhone Duo went up for preorder last week, on October 16, 2026, shipping timeframes began to slip. And if you were to order one right now — regardless of color, carrier, or storage — you’re looking at a January 2027 delivery date. But fear not, I’ve got some good news directly from Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of Marketing.
“You know, we didn’t ship them all away during the pre-order, we have them available at the stores, we’re excited,” said Joswiak.
He continued, “I’ll be at 5th Avenue in the morning, my favorite place to launch iPhone, and I’m sure we’ll have some happy customers.”
It’s a potentially reassuring comment if you’re currently waiting online or preparing to camp overnight, or even if you’re planning to arrive early at a store on launch day tomorrow, October 23, 2026.
I’ll be with Joswiak, other Apple employees, and who knows how many customers outside the flagship and iconic Cube store on 5th Avenue in NYC.
Well, I think you saw the pre-order demand last week was extraordinary.
Previously, Apple has said it would have limited supply for walk-ins, but Jos offers a bit more, noting that the Duo will be available in stores. And while demand for the iPhone Duo for online orders and pre-reserves has been impressive, leading to long lead times, he reiterated that Apple still has some set aside for folks who want to try their luck going to a store or even trying to lock in a unit for pickup.
On overall demand for the iPhone Duo, Joswiak notes, “Well, I think you saw the pre-order demand last week was extraordinary.”
He continued, “People got it. They understood what we were doing. The people who, like yourselves, who saw it early on were quite taken by it.”
You can read TechRadar’s full review of the iPhone Duo here, and I’ve gotten the chance to spend some more time with it this week since the original unveiling in September. It’s still an incredible form factor, one that feels excellent in the hand and ultimately feels like a premium iPhone.
More recently, I’ve gotten to see more applications running on it — like Edits taking advantage of the bigger internal screen, the impressive reflections rendered in real time in Netflix, and the epic DeckMan, which turns the Duo into a cassette player. Still early days, but it really shows off some unique experiences designed for the Duo.
Another exemplary example is the MLB app, which is launching its iPhone Duo update on Day One with pretty spectacular timing. You see, the World Series kicks off tomorrow, and if you have an iPhone Duo and an applicable account, you can watch it in grand style. On the cover screen, or, if you flip it open, in a full-screen, TV-like treatment. Even neater, if you fold it like a book or mini laptop, you can have the broadcast on top and box score on the bottom. You can even split the screen for the broadcast on the left and another app on the right.
Joswiak noted the importance of MLB and sports at large: ”Sports are important to us; it’s important to our users.” The relationship is so tight that the iPhone is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, specifically a Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max that was used to broadcast Friday Night Baseball.
So, if you’re lucky enough to get an iPhone Duo tomorrow, you can tune into the World Series on its impressive new display. But if you’re still hoping to get your hands on Apple’s first folding phone, don’t count yourself out just yet. Despite online orders slipping to January, Joswiak says Apple will have units available in stores tomorrow. Your best bet? Get there early.
