Supply chain reports suggest that Apple has increased iPhone Duo orders by more than 40% in response to what the company described as “extraordinary” pre-order demand.
Delivery dates started slipping literally within a minute or so of pre-orders opening, and it wasn’t immediately clear whether this reflected high demand or poor supply. This latest report seems to point firmly to the former …
Pre-orders opened on Friday and customers immediately reported receiving extended delivery dates, some of them into late January. Apple said that this was due to what it described as “extraordinary” demand for its first folding iPhone, but this is a phrase it frequently uses for new iPhone launches. The company also limited orders to a maximum of two per customer in a bid to tackle scalping.
As we expected, some of those ordering the new iPhone were subsequently given earlier estimated shipping dates. This may be explained by a DigiTimes report based on supply chain sources suggesting that Apple has ramped up production.
The report indicates that Apple expects strong demand to continue, and has boosted its shipment targets from 9.7 million to 14 million units over the first 12 months.
Early customers are going to have to contend with third-party apps not yet optimized for the device, but Apple says the situation is improving rapidly as developers get on board. The first reviews based on a week of usage present a consistent view, with app support one of five key takeouts.
The downgrade to Touch ID was another of these, but a report today says Apple is already testing iPhone Duo 2 prototypes with Face ID.
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