Apple is preparing extensive in-store displays and large numbers of demo units for the iPhone Duo’s October 23 launch, but supply will be limited, according to Mark Gurman.
In-store display plans for iPhone Duo
Apple will set aside a section of its Fifth Avenue flagship for the iPhone Duo and most stores will add an extra spotlight table using Apple’s white display tables with central posts. A new fixture will demonstrate how the phone folds and unfolds.
The number of demonstration units will vary by location: Fifth Avenue in New York is expected to receive more than 150 devices for customer trials and other displays, while the Apple Park Visitor Center will receive nearly 100. Non-flagship stores will get about 20 units each on average. Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, The Grove in Los Angeles and Manhattan’s Upper West Side are expected to fall between those allocations, at roughly 30 to 40 devices each.
Visitors will be able to explore StandBy on untethered phones in the Avenue display areas along the sides of stores. For side-by-side comparisons on store tables, Apple has designed a MagSafe stand that holds an open iPhone Duo and two conventional iPhones.
Apple faces tighter supply than it had expected. About two months ago the company believed production constraints could push sales into November; it has since assembled enough inventory to proceed with an October release, but stock is still expected to be limited.
Stores will also receive adapted “Presto” machines for the iPhone Duo. Apple’s wireless system can install software updates without opening an iPhone’s packaging and will add the buyer’s name to the greeting shown during the device’s first startup. The personalized greeting will be offered in U.S. Apple Stores in English and Spanish.
iPhone Duo pre-orders open October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, with sales starting on October 23. The 256GB model starts at $1,999 in the United States.
