Apple launches its first foldable iPhone amid tight supply

Apple began selling its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, on October 23 at a starting price of $1,999, with early orders outstripping available supply and reviews noting trade-offs in the device’s design and software. Apple’s estimated delivery dates moved to late January within minutes of preorders opening October 16. The company described preorder demand as extraordinary, but has not disclosed preorder totals or first-weekend sales, so delivery delays do not establish how many phones were sold. In a statement, Apple said walk-in stock would be limited in the United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico and much of Britain and Europe. In China, France, Hong Kong, India and Japan, stores would provide devices only to customers who had ordered online. Sydney was among the launch locations, with buyers queuing outside before a store opened. The Duo’s appeal rests on a foldable design that opens into a larger display. Reviewers praised its construction and the reduced visibility of the screen crease, but identified several compromises: it lacks a telephoto camera, uses Touch ID rather than Face ID, and some third-party apps had not been adapted to the inner display. Some...