Apple's iPhone Duo Hits India with Severe Stock Shortages and Massive Price Hikes

Apple's first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, has launched in India to intense demand and severe stock shortages. The 256GB base variant carries an official price tag of ₹2,99,900, but desperate buyers are paying retailers an extra ₹70,000 to ₹1 lakh, pushing the total cost close to ₹4 lakh. Retailers in Ghaziabad, Noida and Delhi report massive shortages after the device went on sale on Friday, October 23, 2026. India Today spoke to more than 17 store owners, with several receiving only about 10 units each. The All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA), representing over 1.5 lakh mainline mobile retailers, noted that some top shops expected around 100 units across different variants but received only five to seven. AIMRA stated that buyers were willing to pay between ₹25,000 and ₹1 lakh above the retail price, though certain shops continue selling at the official rate to loyal customers without any extra charge.

Global Supply Challenges

The supply crunch is not limited to India. Limited production capacity, complex hinge engineering and new display technology have created manufacturing challenges, with devices built at only a few facilities in China. Industry reports ahead of the launch pointed to production yields stuck at 60 per cent, meaning four out of every ten phones coming off the line fail quality checks. Within hours of orders opening, Apple's websites in the US and India showed delivery dates pushed into 2027, and Apple restricted online purchases in India to a maximum of two units per customer. Resale prices overseas have also skyrocketed, with a 2TB model priced at $3,199 fetching $5,000 on eBay.

Context

New tech product launches often face initial supply bottlenecks due to complex manufacturing processes for advanced components like foldable screens. Apple has joined the foldable phone market years after competitors like Samsung and Motorola introduced similar devices.