Apple's iPhone Duo launch strategy was 'major mistake', Bloomberg’s Gurman says

Apple's first foldable iPhone saw delivery estimates slip to late January 2027 within half an hour of pre-orders opening. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple saw it coming, and he calls the iPhone Duo pre-order strategy a major mistake.

In his latest newsletter, Gurman says Apple knew about its manufacturing hurdles well before launch. Foldable screens are hard to build, and that meant lower output than usual.

Rather than stockpile units first, he argues, leadership chose to release the phone on a Friday. He reads that as a priority on landing sales early in Apple's first fiscal quarter, not on meeting demand.

However, according to Gurman, the initial plan was for the US and China to launch only. Apple has launched the sales of iPhone 15 Pro in more than 70 countries and regions on October 23, with 28 other launches happening on October 30.

Each market launch means taking a share from the same limited pool of devices. According to a source close to Foxconn quoted by China's Jiemian News, the final assembly yield was slightly above 60% in mid-September. Apple did not make any comments regarding this information.

Less than half an hour after Apple Store opened on October 16, almost all regions had the delivery date of late January 2027. If you have not placed an order within the first couple of minutes, you are going to wait for months for a phone priced at $1,999.