Strong customer demand is pushing Apple to order millions of additional units of its brand new foldable smartphone. Supply chain reports indicate the tech giant raised its production targets for the iPhone Duo by 44 percent. With initial shipping estimates already slipping into next year, the company is moving fast to ensure it has enough devices to satisfy eager buyers.
Factories scramble to build millions of extra devices
According to DigiTimes, component makers and assembly partners like Foxconn recently received updated instructions from Apple. The revised orders push the total production goal from 9.7 million up to 14 million devices over the next 12 months. This jump in manufacturing follows what Apple described as extraordinary demand when pre-orders opened on October 16. Within just 30 minutes of going live, shipping dates for all models slipped back to late January in the United States.
Meeting this new goal might still present a challenge for the supply chain. Assembly output relies heavily on how well factories manage the production of complex new parts like the folding screens and custom hinges. Earlier rumors suggested manufacturers faced some early difficulty getting these parts right, which could slow down the speed at which finished phones leave the factory.
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Market analysts at DigiTimes believe the arrival of Apple’s first foldable device will jumpstart the entire category. They forecast global shipments of folding phones will grow by nearly 26 percent in 2026, and by an impressive 59 percent in 2027.
The new foldable phone launches officially on October 23, with prices starting at $1,999. If factory partners can smooth out the assembly process, millions more buyers will get their hands on one sooner than expected.
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