Apple launches into foldable market as iPhone Duo sales begin

Sales of Apple’s first folding phone, the iPhone Duo , began on Friday, with market watchers betting on whether the device can reinvent the small foldables market in the same way the iPhone did for smartphones. The Duo’s reception could prove an early test for new CEO John Ternus , the former hardware chief who unveiled the phone barely a week after taking charge in September. It could also have large implications for a niche category in which ⁠rivals such as Samsung Electronics and Huawei Technologies have sold premium ​offerings for several years. Within minutes of pre-orders opening last Friday, Apple’s estimated delivery dates for the Duo had slipped to late January as demand outpaced supply. The US company called the response from customers “nothing short of extraordinary.

” With the massive demand, Apple capped pre-orders at two handsets per customer and limited sales significantly for walk-in shoppers, resulting in muted crowds unlike the hype that typically accompanied new iPhone releases. In China, France, Hong Kong, India and Japan, units would be available only for customers who had ordered online In Sydney, the first Apple store to sell the phones on Friday, a queue of customers formed outside before opening at 8am local time (2100 GMT or 2am PKT). Simon Krishnan, a 48-year-old engineer, paid A$3,899 ($2,734) for a Duo with 512GB memory. “This is a bit of a luxury item for me, because it’s so expensive, but I just think, you know what? Life’s too short,” he said. In China, a soft consumer market combined with memory costs pushing prices higher has led to six straight quarters of declines in smartphone shipments. Apple’s market share, however, has rebounded as some phone buyers trade up to premium devices while others seek value at the lower end of the…