Mark Gurman wrote in his Power On newsletter that Apple made a “major mistake” by starting iPhone Duo pre-orders on Friday despite knowing the device would face “severe supply constraints” due to manufacturing challenges.
“Let me cut to the chase: Apple made a major mistake here,” he wrote. “The company knew there would be severe supply constraints but went ahead with the launch anyway, apparently prioritizing a desire to get the device on the market early in its fiscal first quarter over satisfying demand. That will disappoint many of the early adopters most eager to buy it.”
iPhone Duo launch and supply constraints
Gurman said Apple originally planned to launch the iPhone Duo in the U.S. and China only before expanding the device to other countries later, but the company ultimately began pre-orders in more than 70 countries simultaneously.
Less than 30 minutes after pre-orders began, Apple’s estimated shipping dates for the iPhone Duo slipped to around January 25 in most countries.
Gurman noted that Apple typically underpromises and overdelivers with its delivery dates, so some customers may end up having their shipping estimates bumped up at least slightly.
