Apple has instructed suppliers to increase the iPhone Duo shipment target by 44%, raising the first 12 months' production goal from 9.7 million units to 14 million, according to supply chain sources who shared the update with industry contacts.
The move follows a surge in demand after pre-orders opened last week, when initial shipping estimates slipped to January within hours. Supply chain sources say the new target reflects those early order volumes, but they caution the figure is a revised instruction to Foxconn and component makers rather than a guaranteed output number.
Apple's revised instruction echoes earlier and sometimes conflicting guidance. In July, Nikkei Asia reported Apple had asked suppliers to prepare around 10 million foldable iPhones for 2026. In September, analyst Jeff Pu estimated only 6 million units would be produced this year because hinge production constraints would limit assembly capacity.
Production constraints and forecasts
Those assembly constraints remain central to whether the higher target translates into more devices in stores. Multiple reports have flagged manufacturing difficulties affecting assembly, displays, and hinges; the supply chain sources say actual output will depend on assembly progress and component throughput, so larger orders do not automatically mean larger on-shelf availability.
The same report's source forecasts global foldable shipments will expand 25.7 percent in 2026 and 59.1 percent in 2027, versus 7.4 percent growth in 2025, and attributes part of that acceleration to Apple's entry into the category.
The iPhone Duo is scheduled to go on sale tomorrow, October 23, with a US starting price of $1,999. Apple has warned of limited walk-in stock on launch day and capped purchases at two units per person.
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