Apple cannot predict when foldable iPhone supply will meet demand

Apple says it cannot predict when supply of its first foldable iPhone will meet demand, after the £1,999 device sold out shortly after going on sale.

Chief operating officer Sabih Khan told analysts on Monday that it was “really hard to predict when supply and demand will be in balance”. Chief executive John Ternus said he was “thrilled” by the early response to the iPhone Duo, which launched just over a week ago.

The shortage comes as Apple reports strong sales across much of its business, alongside supply constraints for several products. The company said iPhone sales rose 17% to $57bn in the three months to 26 September, before the Duo went on sale. Sales of Macs rose 27% to $10.7bn, while iPad sales fell 10% and wearables sales fell 7%. Overall sales for the year were up 15% to $479bn.

Khan said supply pressures affecting most Apple devices were partly due to difficulty securing advanced microprocessors, and were expected to continue into next year, particularly for iPads and Macs. The company has also cited rising memory costs, which Ternus described as “unprecedented”.

The Duo’s launch has also been accompanied by reports of cracked screens. Apple said last week it would replace phones affected by a fault that caused a “small number” of devices to crack along the inner fold. Executives did not discuss the issue during Monday’s results call.

Apple’s pre-orders for the Duo had already stretched delivery estimates to late January within minutes of opening, ahead of its 23 October launch, as the first reports of strong demand emerged.