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Apple limits iPhone Duo sales in the US

Apple now shows a notification when consumers try to buy more than two iPhone Duo units from the Apple App Store app and website.

By Alan Friedman

Published: Oct 20, 2026, 4:13 PM

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Apple limits iPhone Duo sales to two units per customer | Image by Apple

Apple has now limited the purchase of iPhone Duo units in the United States to a maximum of two per customer. The tech giant obviously feels that it has to take this step because of what it calls the demand for the first foldable iPhone, which it called "nothing short of extraordinary."

Apple adds message warning US iPhone Duo users that they can't buy more than two units

If you try to purchase more than two iPhone Duo units from the Apple Store app or from the Apple website, you will see a message that says, "A maximum of 2 iPhone Duo phones can be purchased per customer. Please adjust the total quantity of ‌iPhone Duo ‌ in your order before checking out."

Some iPhone Duo orders were moved to an earlier ship date

Shipping dates for iPhone Duo pre-orders have been pushed as far back as late January. A very small number of iPhone Duo pre-orders, expected to arrive in November and December, have been changed by Apple to a shipping date of October 23. That is the original release date for the device.

In most markets other than the US, such as China, Singapore, and Hong Kong, Apple had clearly implemented a two-unit max on Duo orders. In the US, the notification only surfaced when someone attempted to place a pre-order for more than two Duos.

Apple adds a sales limit to iPhone Duo orders in the US. | Image by Reddit

The iPhone Duo is expected to grab a quarter of the global foldable market this year

Analysts expect Apple to grab 25% of the global foldable market this year, placing it behind Samsung. Others expect Apple's share of the worldwide foldable market to surge to 40% next year.

Here's why you might be better off waiting for the 2028 third-generation iPhone Duo

If you're not happy with the OG Duo's lack of facial recognition and a telephoto camera, you might want to wait until the third-generation model before purchasing one. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said that the 2028 iPhone Duo will most likely include Face ID and a dedicated telephoto lens.

Gurman also suggested that Apple could introduce a larger iPhone Duo Max in 2028. That year, Apple could sell 45 million units of its foldable phone according to investment firm J.P. Morgan.

The incredible demand for the iPhone Duo has no doubt helped new Apple CEO John Ternus get his reign as CEO off to a good start. Apple also recently unveiled its smart display and smart home hub. On October 28, Apple will hold its next new products event dubbed "Pro and tell."

During that event, Apple is expected to unveil an iPad mini with an OLED screen, a landscape-oriented front-facing camera, a performance boost thanks to a higher-tier chip, and improved water resistance. On October 28, we also should see Apple unveil the first touchscreen Mac.

Let's return to the two unit limit on new iPhone Duo purchases in the US. Apple is doing this as a way to prevent scalpers from buying as many units as possible and selling them on eBay for as much as $5,000. You might feel that Apple is wrong for imposing such a limit, but the goal is to prevent potential iPhone Duo buyers from getting ripped off. Prices for the 256GB iPhone Duo on eBay range from $3,500 to as much as $14,000. To be fair, not every person offering the foldable on eBay is going to sell one at their asking price.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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