Apple says its stores will have some iPhone Duo stock for walk-insApple says its stores will have some iPhone Duo stock for walk-ins

Apple says its stores will have a limited number of iPhone Duo units for people who walk in without an order when the phone goes on sale on Friday 23 October. An Apple spokesperson gave the statement to MacRumors on 21 October.

For anyone without a pre-order, that is a small but real change. Until now, the word from inside Apple's stores was that there would probably be nothing to buy at all.

"Apple Stores will have limited iPhone Duo available for walk-in customers," the statement reads. It adds that Apple is "working hard" to get the phone to buyers quickly. It gives no number of units, no list of stores and no countries.

Put in order, the signals have shifted over four days. On 17 October MacRumors' Hartley Charlton reported that some store staff had been told there would likely be no walk-in stock on launch day, and to steer people without a pre-order away. We reported that guidance in our 18 October round-up, when it was unclear how firm it was.

Two days later, Apple's sites in Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates said the Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro Max could not be bought in stores there without ordering ahead. The new statement names none of the three, so we would not read it as lifting those notices.

Behind all of it is supply. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported on 11 October that stores would get plenty of demo units but limited stock to sell. Then pre-orders opened on 16 October and US delivery estimates slipped to late January within half an hour.

When we read Apple's US buy page on 21 October, it still said only "Available starting 10.23", from $1,999, with no store stock or pickup slots shown. For anyone in the US without an order already placed, the store queue is the only way to get a Duo from Apple on Friday.

Our view: if you want one on launch day and live near an Apple Store, it is now worth going early, but go expecting to leave without one. "Limited" with no figure gives no way to judge the odds, and the stores that open first, in the earliest time zones, will show how deep the stock runs.

If you can wait, an online order is still the surer path, even with January dates. The next point to watch is Saturday 24 October, when Apple's online store has told customers to check back for pickup availability, according to MacRumors. That is where any stock the stores do not sell on Friday should appear.