iPhone Duo pre‑orders vanish in minutes, buyers face 2027 wait as specs differ from iPhone 18 Pro Max

iPhone Duo pre‑orders opened on 16 October and the initial stock was sold out within minutes, forcing online buyers to wait until January 2027 for delivery. The Duo features a 7.6‑inch inner foldable Super Retina XDR display with nano‑texture and a 5.4‑inch outer Super Retina XDR screen, making it the largest iPhone display to date. By contrast, the iPhone 18 Pro carries a 6.3‑inch screen while the iPhone 18 Pro Max offers a 6.9‑inch Super Retina XDR panel. The Duo is built with a titanium frame and a hinge cover, whereas the Pro models use aluminium unibodies and lack a hinge. The Duo does not include the new action button found on the Pro line. Battery life on the Duo reaches up to 31 hours of video on the inner screen and 44 hours on the outer screen. The iPhone 18 Pro provides up to 34 hours, and the Pro Max up to 43 hours of video playback. Front cameras differ: the Duo has a 12 MP Center Stage sensor, while the Pro models use an 18 MP Center Stage unit. Both phones share 48 MP Fusion main and ultra‑wide rear cameras, but the Duo only has these two lenses; the Pro and Pro Max add a 48 MP Fusion telephoto lens. Zoom options are .5×, 1× and 2× on the Duo versus .5×, 1×, 2×, 4× and 8× on the Pro models. Pro controls, variable aperture and Apple Reference Image are exclusive to the Pro line. The Duo offers Smart Take and Duo Preview features absent from the Pro models. Pricing starts at ₹2,99,990 for the 256 GB Duo, while the iPhone 18 Pro starts at ₹1,64,900 and the Pro Max at ₹1,79,900 for the same storage tier.## Context Foldable smartphones remain niche, and Apple's use of titanium marks a shift toward premium materials, but higher prices and limited availability may slow mass adoption.