Apple Confirms Limited iPhone Duo Walk-In Stock Friday, but Not in Japan, China or France
Apple Stores will have a limited number of iPhone Duo units for walk-in customers when the phone goes on sale Friday, October 23, Apple said Wednesday. “Apple Stores will have limited iPhone Duo available for walk-in customers, and we’re working hard to get this revolutionary new product into customers’ hands as quickly as possible,” the company said in a statement given to MacRumors and 9to5Mac. Reuters also reported the statement. Apple expects that stock to sell out quickly, according to 9to5Mac.
Walk-in units will be offered in the United States, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, the UK and most stores in Italy, 9to5Mac reports. In Macao, walk-in sales happen on launch day only. In mainland China, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the UAE, buyers will need an online order for pickup instead. GSMArena notes purchases are capped at two per person.
How we got here
The statement settles a few days of mixed signals. On October 17, MacRumors reported that some store employees had been told there would likely be no walk-in stock and to discourage customers without a pre-order. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman disputed that hours later, writing on X that there had been “zero communication to Apple retail stores saying this” and that any ruling on inventory for non-pre-order customers was premature.
Apple’s Japanese store site then said customers couldn’t buy an iPhone Duo or iPhone 18 Pro Max in store without a reservation for a limited time, The Apple Post reported after Mac Otakara flagged the notice. Mac Otakara also reported that same-day pickup slots in Japan ran out 17 minutes after pre-orders opened. Japan is on Apple’s no-walk-in list.
Supply is still tight
MacRumors says every U.S. configuration showed January 25 shipping estimates within 30 minutes of pre-orders opening October 16, though 9to5Mac and GSMArena say some pre-order dates have since moved up. Nikkei Asia reported in early September that production had reached only a few hundred units per day in late August, MacRumors notes. Apple told the Financial Times that demand has been “nothing short of extraordinary.”
Apple’s online store tells shoppers to check back Saturday, October 24 for pickup availability. The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999. If you plan to line up Friday, go early and be ready to leave empty-handed.
Sources: MacRumors, 9to5Mac, Reuters via U.S. News, GSMArena, MacRumors (Oct 17), Mark Gurman on X, The Apple Post, Mac Otakara