Apple Shares Rise as iPhone Duo Pre-Orders See Wait Times Stretch Into January

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is seeing fast initial demand for its new iPhone Duo as pre-orders opened on Friday. Delivery estimates across all regions and configurations quickly pushed out to late January 2027, creating lead times of roughly 100 days shortly after orders began. Apple stock closed up 0.43% at $343.50 on Friday, wrapping up a weekly gain of over 2%, its best weekly performance since the launch in September.

The extended wait times point to early solid momentum for Apple's new hardware form factor. Analyst projections suggest the iPhone Duo could reach 20 million units in fiscal 2027, which would represent about 8% of overall iPhone unit sales next year. However, industry experts caution that long lead times reflect a combination of high consumer demand and tight early supply typical of a brand-new device layout. Meanwhile, demand for the premium iPhone 18 Pro Max has held steady, even as lead times for the standard iPhone 18 Pro have moderated compared to last year's model.

Investors will be watching over the coming days to see if delivery dates stabilize or fluctuate further as Apple works through initial launch orders. Key factors to track include Apple's production capacity for the new design and whether supply constraints ease heading into the end of the calendar year. Additionally, market participants will monitor whether shifting consumer interest toward the Duo continues to influence sales across the rest of the iPhone 18 lineup.