For a limited time, the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be limited to customers with a pickup reservation at Apple Stores in Japan and South Korea, according to notices posted on Apple's localized websites for those countries.
The notices suggest that the iPhone Duo will not be available for walk-in customers at Apple's retail locations in Japan and South Korea when the device launches on Friday, October 23, likely due to a mix of supply constraints and Apple's usual anti-scalping measures in Asia. It is unclear if this policy will extend to any other countries.
iPhone Duo pre-orders began on Friday, with shipping estimates on Apple's online store for newly-placed orders getting pushed back to January 25 within the first 30 minutes of pre-orders starting. In a statement issued later on Friday, Apple said demand for the iPhone Duo was "nothing short of extraordinary" and that it was "working hard" to fulfill orders "as quickly as possible." Apple did not disclose any specific sales figures.
Apple's online store says customers interested in reserving the iPhone Duo for Apple Store pickup should check back on Saturday, October 24 for more information.
iPhone Duo should be on display at Apple Stores around the world starting on Friday, October 23, but it is still not entirely clear if the device will be available for walk-in customers in the U.S. or any other countries, excluding Japan and South Korea. Our own Hartley Charlton reported that some Apple Store managers advised employees to warn customers against attempting to purchase the iPhone Duo on a walk-in basis at launch, but this was not companywide communication and Apple has yet to publicly comment on the matter.
It seems safe to say that even if some Apple Stores do have the iPhone Duo available for walk-in customers, inventory will be extremely limited at first.
