Apple's iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, went on sale Friday October 23 at Apple Stores globally, drawing overnight lines of customers hoping for walk-in purchases. Apple had warned walk-in inventory would be limited, and many shoppers were turned away, with staff directing them to check the Apple Store app the next day at 10 a.m. ET for updated stock. Executives including Greg Joswiak and John Ternus appeared at flagship stores in New York and Austin to mark the launch.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-23
Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, sold out at numerous Apple stores within minutes of launch-day opening on Friday, with some locations depleting stock before doors even opened. Shoppers had camped outside stores like Apple's 5th Avenue location in New York starting two days early, while preorders that opened October 16 had already created a backlog stretching into early next year. The device, priced from $1,999, features split-screen capability, Touch ID, a photo preview display and Apple Pencil support.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-23
Apple told Reuters that only a limited number of iPhone Duo foldable phones will be available for walk-in customers at its stores when the device launches Friday, October 23rd. Online preorders for the $1,999 device, Apple's first foldable with a 5.4-inch outer and 7.6-inch inner display, sold out quickly, pushing some delivery estimates into next year. In some markets, including Japan, South Korea, and the UAE, customers can only obtain the device through a pickup reservation rather than walk-in purchase.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-21
Marking 15 years since Steve Jobs died on October 5, 2011, a retrospective recalls his influence on technology and retail. It draws on Ron Johnson's new book 'Shop Different,' which recounts how Jobs and Johnson developed Apple's retail philosophy, including Johnson's proposal that Apple should 'love its customers.' The piece also notes Jobs later used the phrase 'We love our users' during the 2010 'antennagate' press conference.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-05
An account from Apple's early retail leadership describes how Steve Jobs discouraged staff from using the term 'customer,' pushing instead for language and service practices centered on building relationships rather than transactions. The approach, paired with the physical Apple Store experience, is credited with cultivating unusually strong brand loyalty over the years.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-22
Ron Johnson, who built Apple's retail store network starting in 2000, says he doesn't believe AI shopping agents will fundamentally change how people buy products. He argues that for significant purchases like laptops, consumers still want to physically handle items rather than let an AI complete the transaction, even as companies like Google and OpenAI push tools that let agents research, compare, and buy on a shopper's behalf.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-21
Apple is said to be overhauling the lesser-known display areas inside its retail stores, internally called 'Avenues,' to prepare shoppers for an upcoming home product. The change reportedly signals that Apple wants dedicated in-store space to educate customers on a new category of device before it launches.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-08-23
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