Apple Plans Extensive In-Store iPhone Duo Demonstrations Ahead of October 23 Launch

Key facts

• Apple is preparing an extensive in-store demonstration campaign ahead of the October 23 launch of the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone.
• According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple plans to allocate substantially more demonstration devices to major retail locations than to its standard stores.
• Apple's Fifth Avenue flagship in New York is expected to receive more than 150 units for hands-on demonstrations and in-store displays.
• The Apple Park Visitor Center in California will have nearly 100 units, while Michigan Avenue in Chicago, The Grove in Los Angeles, and the Upper West Side store in Manhattan are expected to receive approximately 30 to 40 units each.
• Most other stores will have around 20 demonstration devices on average.
• Apple Stores are expected to introduce an additional spotlight table for the iPhone Duo, and the company has reportedly developed a dedicated display fixture to demonstrate how the device opens and closes.
• Customers will be able to explore StandBy mode using demonstration units without security tethers in the Fifth Avenue display areas along the sides of stores.
• Apple has designed a MagSafe stand that holds an unfolded iPhone Duo alongside two conventional iPhones for side-by-side comparisons.
• Gurman reports that Apple had considered delaying sales until later in November because of manufacturing challenges, but has since assembled enough sellable inventory to proceed with the October release, although supply is still expected to be limited.
• The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the United States and £1,999 in the United Kingdom, with pre-orders opening on October 16 and the retail launch scheduled for October 23.
• PetaPixel reported last month that there are serious camera compromises with the iPhone Duo.