Apple Stores May Personalize iPhone Duo Startup Screens, Gurman Says

A Personalized First Boot

Apple retail employees in the United States may be able to add a buyer’s name to the startup screen of an iPhone Duo purchased in a store, giving the device a customized “Hello” greeting when it turns on for the first time, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Gurman reported on X that U.S. Apple Stores will have a system to customize the Duo’s first boot so it can display the buyer’s name (for example, “Hello, Mark”), with English and Spanish options. MacRumors and other outlets relayed the report. Apple has not publicly confirmed the feature, and details such as how customers request it at checkout remain unclear.

What Buyers Could See

Under the reported process, store employees would customize the phone before handing it to the customer. Instead of displaying only the standard greeting during setup, the startup screen could include the buyer’s name. The change appears limited to the initial startup experience, and there is no information indicating that it would alter the phone’s software, settings or ongoing lock screen.

The iPhone Duo itself remains an unconfirmed or unreleased product in Apple’s public lineup depending on the buyer’s market timing; this piece treats Gurman’s report as a rumor about a launch-day retail touch, not as proof the phone has shipped.

What Remains Unclear

The report does not say whether the service would cost extra, whether customers could choose different wording, or whether the name could be changed later. It also does not establish whether the option would be offered for online orders, purchases from other retailers or devices bought before any such program begins.

If accurate, the feature would give Apple Store purchases a small point of personalization at first power-on. For now, the claim rests on Gurman’s report as covered by MacRumors, not a public announcement from Apple.

Source: MacRumors citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman