Apple has outlined what shoppers can expect if they plan to visit an Apple Store in person to buy the new iPhone Duo. In a statement provided to 9to5Mac, the company confirmed that some units have been set aside for customers who walk in without an order, though quantities will be restricted.
Pre-orders for the device opened last week and were backordered almost immediately. That prompted many prospective buyers to plan trips to Apple Stores on October 23, hoping to secure a unit without waiting for delivery.
In its statement, Apple said: "On Friday morning, our teams look forward to welcoming customers at Apple Stores to experience iPhone Duo and the incredible iPhone line-up for themselves. Apple Stores will have limited iPhone Duo available for walk-in customers, and we're working hard to get this revolutionary new product into customers' hands as quickly as possible."
Given the strong demand already seen in the pre-order period, the walk-in allocation is likely to sell out quickly.
Walk-in inventory will be available in the United States, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Macao, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. In Italy, most stores will also carry walk-in stock.
In other markets, customers will not be able to simply walk in and buy the phone. Mainland China, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates will offer only online orders for in-store pickup.
For those who cannot get a device on launch day, there is some encouraging news. Reports continue to emerge of pre-order delivery dates being moved up. That is not happening in every case, but buyers who have not yet ordered and miss out on Friday may find that the current delivery estimates, which stretch into January, improve significantly.
One reader of 9to5Mac said they had never lined up for an iPhone launch without a pre-order before, but were considering arriving early on Friday to experience the atmosphere and try a demo device. The same reader noted that their own delivery window of November 9 to 16 had not yet moved up, even though they had seen reports of other customers' dates being advanced.
