A queue had formed outside an Apple store in Sydney before it opened at 8am. Simon Krishnan, a 48-year-old engineer, paid A$3,899 for a 512GB model and called it a luxury, adding that life is too short. The phone was the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable, which went on sale around the world on Friday.
Apple described customer response as "nothing short of extraordinary". Within minutes of pre-orders opening a week earlier, estimated delivery dates slipped to late January, prompting the company to cap orders at two handsets per customer and sharply limit walk-in sales. That meant smaller crowds than usually greet a new iPhone. In China, France, Hong Kong, India and Japan, the phone is available only to customers who ordered online.
The Duo is an early test for new chief executive John Ternus, the former hardware chief who unveiled it barely a week after taking over in September. Samsung and Huawei have sold premium foldables for years, and analysts are watching whether Apple can reshape the niche the way the original iPhone transformed smartphones.
In China, weak consumer demand and rising memory costs have led to six straight quarters of falling smartphone shipments, though Apple's share has recovered as some buyers trade up to premium devices. In Hong Kong the 256GB model retails for HK$17,499, while in Shanghai one buyer who already owns a rival foldable said he queued from 6am because he trusts the brand.