Apple’s online store now limits iPhone Duo orders to two units per customer, according to a test by Engadget. Engadget tried Apple’s stores in four countries: the US, the UK, Japan and Spain. It got the same cart warning in each one, whatever configuration it picked.
Here is the notice Engadget saw in the cart:
“A maximum of 2 iPhone Duo can be purchased per customer. Please adjust the total quantity of iPhone Duo in your order before checking out.”
— Apple Store cart notice, as reported by Engadget
Apple hasn’t publicly explained the limit as of publication.
When did the iPhone Duo order limit start?
That part is fuzzy. Engadget, citing MacRumors, says it’s unclear when Apple put the cap in place. Engadget also points to members of Reddit’s iPhone Duo community. They say some customers ordered more than two units when pre-orders opened on October 16.
Enforcement is another open question. According to Engadget, it’s unclear whether Apple blocks buyers who use multiple accounts or payment cards.
9to5Mac reads the cap as an anti-scalping move. It says it has seen dozens of iPhone Duos listed on eBay by scalpers, some priced above $5,000. That motive is 9to5Mac’s inference, though, not a reason Apple has given. 9to5Mac also points to precedent. Apple capped iPhone 5 orders in the US in 2012 and has imposed purchase limits in China several times.
A per-customer cap gives ordinary buyers a fairer shot against resellers. It doesn’t add a single unit of supply, however, and short supply is the real problem here. Mark Gurman has already reported that Apple knew iPhone Duo supply was too tight. If multiple accounts slip past the limit, determined scalpers may barely notice it.
If you’re tempted by a resale listing or an unofficial pre-order page, be careful. We recently covered a fake iPhone Duo pre-order page that starts an exploit attempt as soon as it’s opened.
iPhone Duo delivery dates: what has changed
When pre-orders opened on October 16, MacRumors saw new orders quoting January 25 delivery. We covered that late-January slip on October 17. As of October 20, Engadget says every Apple store it checked shows a January 22 shipping estimate for new orders. GSMArena reports the same January 22 date on Apple’s online store.
Some existing orders have moved earlier, based on individual reports rather than any Apple statement:
- Matt Gonzalez: MacRumors says the YouTuber’s estimate for a 512GB Star White Duo moved from December to November 20–30.
- Japan customer: MacRumors reports one order that moved from December 3–10 to October 24.
- Japan, via X: GSMArena relays Gizmodo’s Ray Wong, who says many X users in Japan saw estimates pulled forward to October 23.
- r/apple users: GSMArena cites reports of moves from January 25 to November 24, and to November 16–23.
- One later date: GSMArena also notes one estimate that slipped, from November 30 to December 7.
Other channels showed their own dates when the outlets checked. Engadget says Best Buy listed November 10 for the 512GB Duo and December 14 for the 256GB model. GSMArena saw December 3 at AT&T and December 4 at Verizon. T-Mobile showed December 29 to January 6. These are snapshots and can change quickly.
Walk-in buyers have fewer options in some markets too. Apple has said there will be no walk-in iPhone Duo sales in Japan and Korea for now. For most people ordering today, a January delivery remains the realistic expectation.
