Apple's foldable iPhone goes from sold out to sitting on shelves in under two weeks

Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, has gone from a near-impossible find to a same-day purchase in just under two weeks since its domestic launch.

Customers who pre-ordered at launch faced waits of up to three months for delivery, but the phone is now available for same-day pickup through Apple's online store. The inventory situation reversed sharply in less than two weeks.

Analysts say the early buzz has faded quickly, as quality concerns — including screen cracks and app optimization issues — have dampened consumer appetite.

As of Tuesday morning, Apple's official website showed the 256GB iPhone Duo available for same-day pickup at all seven of the company's retail stores in South Korea — Garosugil, Gangnam, Myeong-dong, Yeouido, Jamsil, Hanam and Hongdae — in both the Star White and Night Sky colorways.

The popular 512GB model was also available for same-day pickup at select stores. The shortage that marked the phone's debut had largely cleared up in less than two weeks.

Out-of-stock listings have also become rare online. Major e-commerce platforms including Naver and Coupang Inc were showing delivery windows ranging from a few days to within a month for all iPhone Duo models. Large retail chains including Lotte Department Store, Hyundai Department Store and Lotte Himart had stock available on their online platforms from Monday onward.

Unopened units are now appearing on secondhand platforms at prices hundreds of thousands of won below retail. Listings on Karrot and Joonggonara offering sealed iPhone Duo units at below-retail prices have multiplied in recent days.

The shift stands in stark contrast to the mood at launch. Apple had described pre-order demand for the iPhone Duo as "truly extraordinary."

In South Korea, the delivery estimate on Apple's official website was pushed back to January within 30 minutes of pre-orders opening on Oct. 16. All three major mobile carriers — SK Telecom, KT Corp and LG Uplus — sold out their pre-order allocations within minutes.

Analysts say the rapid inventory reversal is linked to quality issues that have persisted since launch.

Reports of cracks and white lines appearing near the center of the inner display began surfacing shortly after the iPhone Duo went on sale. Users also flagged app optimization problems, with some applications failing to properly adapt their layouts and controls to the new foldable screen.

The controversy has led some customers to cancel their orders. "The iPhone Duo already had a long wait time for delivery, and with the recent issues piling on, we are receiving requests to cancel pre-orders," a telecom industry official said.

Online communities including the Naver cafe "Asamo" — a forum for iPhone, iPad and Mac users — have also seen a stream of posts from users reporting defects and usability problems, with some saying they canceled orders or returned their devices.

A wait-and-see attitude among potential buyers may also be weighing on demand. As the iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable, analysts say consumers who had been watching early adopters' reviews are now hesitating in the wake of the mounting controversy.

"iPhone always has loyal customers, so new models tend to sell out quickly at launch," a telecom industry official said. "But with the iPhone Duo, consumers who were already on the fence because of the high price seem to be holding back further now that product issues have come to light."

Apple, for its part, maintains that a global supply shortage persists. Sabih Khan, Apple's chief operating officer, said at an earnings call Tuesday (local time) that the iPhone Duo "remains supply constrained" and that while production expansion is "going well," it is difficult to predict when supply and demand will come into balance.

Domestic supply is being managed according to a pre-arranged schedule. "We are receiving and selling the planned volume without disruption, in line with the supply plan agreed upon in advance," a retail industry official said.