Apple Admits Difficulty Predicting When iPhone Duo Supply Constraints Will Ease

OPA WIRE, Nov 2 (OPA) — Apple Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan admitted shipping delays are plaguing the new iPhone Duo during the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings call on Monday, offering little clarity on when delivery timelines will stabilize. Customers who bypassed initial preorders or in-store lines now face delivery dates stretching into next year, while carrier partners like Verizon have issued gift cards to appease delayed buyers.

“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 during the call.

The supply bottlenecks highlight rare friction within Apple's normally efficient manufacturing network. However, hardware makers across the board are grappling with rising component costs and squeezed memory chip supplies as artificial intelligence sector demand surges. Khan noted that Apple has reluctantly raised prices across several product categories to offset mounting material expenditures.

To help mitigate production bottlenecks for the new foldable device, Apple confirmed it is deepening its partnership with titanium supplier Perryman. CEO John Ternus emphasized strong initial demand from reviewers and consumers alike, noting that operations teams are scaling output to meet persistent global orders as component pressures persist.