Apple Warns of Long Delays for New Foldable Phone

Apple executives said on Monday that they could not predict when production of the new iPhone Duo would catch up with surging customer demand, leaving online buyers facing delivery dates stretching into next year.

The foldable device, which costs $1,999 and features a 7.6-inch inner screen, sold out quickly after its launch last month and prompted shipping delays that extend to late January 2027.

The production bottleneck stems from a broader shortage of memory chips driven by intense competition from the artificial intelligence industry, which has raised component costs across the technology sector.

“iPhone Duo is constrained as of today,” said Sabih Khan, the chief operating officer at Apple.

“The ramp is going well, and we’re working hard to get this revolutionary new product into the hands of our customers as quickly as possible,” Khan said during an earnings call.

“But at this time, it’s really hard to predict when supply and demand will be in balance,” Khan added.

Chief Executive John Ternus said during the same earnings call that the company was experiencing unprecedented price rises in memory costs as data center investments grow.

According to the BBC, Ternus took over as chief executive from Tim Cook in September and launched the foldable smartphone as the company's first major design change in nearly 20 years.

Despite the supply constraints, Apple reported record financial results for its fiscal fourth quarter, with total revenue reaching $114.5 billion and iPhone revenue hitting $57.58 billion.

TechCrunch reported that some customers who missed out on initial preorders or in-store purchases are experiencing long wait times, while Verizon has offered gift cards to apologize for the shipping delays.

Apple also addressed reports regarding hardware defects, saying that a very small percentage of the foldable handsets were returned due to screens cracking along the inside fold.

The company stated that it is actively replacing all of the affected devices that were returned by customers.

Analysts are watching to see how memory cost pressures and component shortages will impact Apple's profit margins and product availability through the key holiday shopping period.