Apple Can't Say When iPhone Duo Shortage Will End

Apple cannot say when iPhone Duo shortages will ease. Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan told analysts on the company's fiscal fourth-quarter earnings call on Monday that the new foldable device remains supply-constrained, with no timeline for balance between supply and demand.

"iPhone Duo is constrained as of today. 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. But at this time, it's really hard to predict when supply and demand will be in balance," Khan said.

The admission carries weight. Customers who did not wait in line at an Apple Store or jump on preorders immediately now see ship times stretching into next year. Verizon has been apologizing for the delays by offering gift cards to its customers, according to the call.

How strong is demand for the foldable?

An October report from the Financial Times quoted Apple describing demand for the Duo as "nothing short of extraordinary." The device sold out on the company's website within hours of going on sale, pushing delivery dates into next year.

CEO John Ternus struck a confident note in his opening remarks. "We've been thrilled with the early response from reviewers and customers, and we are working hard to get iPhone Duo into customers' hands as quickly as we can," Ternus said.

The claim of extraordinary demand, however, comes without unit figures. Apple has not disclosed how many Duo units it has shipped, which makes the supply constraint hard to verify against actual sales volume.

Takeaway: Apple says demand is exceptional, but it is not publishing numbers that would let outsiders confirm it.

Why are memory chips making everything worse?

The Duo delays were only one concern on a call dominated by questions about rising memory chip costs. Soaring demand from the AI industry has driven up component prices for hardware makers across the board, threatening to push device prices higher.

Apple has already raised prices on a number of products. Khan said those decisions were made "reluctantly," a caveat that signals the company expects scrutiny of the increases.

The pressure is industry-wide, not Apple-specific. For hardware makers, costlier memory means either thinner margins or higher shelf prices — and Apple appears to have chosen the latter.

Takeaway: AI data centers are bidding up the same memory chips that phones need, and shoppers are paying the difference.

What is Apple doing about supply?

Apple said it is "deepening" its partnership with Perryman, a titanium producer supplying materials for the foldable device. The move signals Apple is locking in raw material capacity to sustain the Duo ramp.

The prolonged delays stand out against Apple's reputation for a highly efficient supply chain. A company known for avoiding launch bottlenecks is now apologizing — or letting carriers apologize — for ship times running months past purchase.

The shortage has a hard ceiling: even with titanium secured and production ramping, Khan declined to estimate when supply catches up.

Takeaway: Apple is securing materials, but it is not committing to a date, and customers without preorders may wait until next year.

What happens next?

The open question is pricing. If memory costs keep climbing, further price increases across Apple's lineup look plausible — Khan's "reluctantly" suggests the door is not closed. Investors and buyers will watch the next quarter for either a supply recovery or another round of hikes.