Apple's first foldable smartphone, the "iPhone Duo," is expected to face a shortage from its initial launch in South Korea. As the initial supply to the three major mobile carriers is limited, it is predicted that securing the product will be difficult unless pre-orders are made promptly.
According to telecommunications industry sources on the 15th, the three major mobile carriers—SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus—anticipate that the initial supply of the iPhone Duo will be limited. An industry official said, "The initial stock is small, so it seems essential to make a pre-order this year," adding, "It appears that pre-orders must be made as early as possible to receive the product on time."
The iPhone Duo, considered a rival to Samsung Electronics' "Galaxy Z Fold 8," is Apple's first foldable smartphone. The domestic retail price starts at 3.29 million won, with pre-orders opening at 9 p.m. on the 16th and the official launch scheduled for the 23rd.
Market research firms forecast this year's global shipments of the iPhone Duo to be in the range of 5 million to 6 million units. Considering that last year's second-half shipments of the iPhone 17 series are estimated to have exceeded 80 million units, this scale is less than one-tenth. Such a limited global supply size is expected to impact the initial domestic stock as well.
In China, products have emerged requiring an additional payment of approximately 1.6 million won on top of the device price to purchase the iPhone Duo first. Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com sold a package bundling priority purchase rights for the iPhone Duo with various after-sales service benefits for 7,999 yuan. Given that the lowest price for the iPhone Duo in China is 15,999 yuan, package buyers must pay at least 23,998 yuan (approximately 4.8 million won).
The package is an exclusive product for "JD PLUS," paid members of JD.com, and provides the qualification to prioritize purchasing one unit among the 256GB and 512GB models. It also includes benefits such as free replacement within 90 days, free repair for one year, and free battery replacement for five years. According to local Chinese media, the package sold out shortly after sales began.
Production difficulty is cited as the background for the initial shortage of stock. Local Chinese media reported, citing supply chain sources, that the finished product assembly yield rate for the iPhone Duo slightly exceeds 60%. In particular, the hinge, composed of more than 100 precision components, was identified as a major factor lowering production efficiency.
The initial scarcity of the iPhone Duo does not necessarily mean sales success. If the supply volume is small, early sell-outs may occur even if it is difficult to judge actual demand. Whether Apple improves its production yield rate and how quickly it secures follow-up stock are expected to determine the market establishment of the first foldable iPhone.
in TECH
