iPhone Duo demand so high, Apple caps purchases: Here's how many you can buy

Apple has limited customers to buying the latest iPhone models, including its first foldable, iPhone Duo. The restriction now applies to India, amid high demand for the new iPhone Duo ahead of its October 23 sale. Here's why Apple may be limiting purchases and what it means for buyers.

In Short

• Apple has capped purchases at two units per customer for the iPhone Duo
• The purchase limit now applies to India
• The restriction comes amid high demand for the iPhone Duo

The iPhone Duo went up for pre-order on October 16, and given the demand running high ahead of its October 23 sale date, Apple is now letting each customer buy only two. And it’s not just the iPhone Duo: the same two-unit limit also applies to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The cap isn’t brand new, but India has now been added to the list of places where you’ll run into it.

So, if you open Apple’s website and add more than two units of any latest iPhones, the message that shows is blunt: “A maximum of 2 iPhone Duo can be purchased per customer.” And the restriction is not limited to India website; shoppers on Apple’s US store, China, Singapore and Hong Kong have also reported seeing it.

The restriction is not entirely new for Apple. When the original iPhone launched in 2007, the company also limited purchases to two units per person to discourage resellers. The current limit could serve a similar purpose, although Apple has not officially explained why it is in place.

The timing has drawn attention because demand for the iPhone Duo appears to be high. Reports have pointed to delivery dates stretching into January shortly after pre-orders began.

Other markets have gone further. In Japan and South Korea, buyers must book a store pickup in advance for the Duo and iPhone 18 Pro Max, as walk-in purchases won’t be available at launch.

There’s a bigger story behind the rush. Counterpoint Research earlier expected that the iPhone Duo would capture about 25 per cent of the global foldable market, which would put Apple second behind Samsung (38 per cent) and ahead of Huawei (22 per cent). The same report suggests Apple could ship nearly 6 million Duos in 2026 alone, even with a starting price of Rs 3 lakh. These are projections, not sales figures. But with a debut this hyped, it’s easy to see why Apple might want to keep early stock from landing in a few hands. And Apple’s entry into the foldable space could also help push the market forward in terms of sales and consumer adoption.

- Ends