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Why Mark Gurman Called Apple’s iPhone Duo Preorder Launch a “Major Mistake”
Gurman’s “major mistake” verdict was about launch timing: Apple opened preorders despite reported supply constraints, and estimates for new orders reached January 25, 2027, within about 30 minutes.
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Key takeaways
- Gurman’s “major mistake” verdict was about launch timing: Apple opened preorders despite reported supply constraints, and estimates for new orders reached January 25, 2027, within about 30 minutes.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: Why did Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman call Apple’s iPhone Duo preorder launch a “major mistake” and “a disaster,” and how do its expansion from a. Article summary: Gurman’s criticism was about launch execution, not a lack of customer interest: Apple reportedly opened iPhone Duo orders despite knowing supply could not meet demand, producing months-long waits almost immediately.[10][. Topic tags: general, general web, user generated. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fak
Mark Gurman’s criticism of Apple’s iPhone Duo preorder launch was about execution: Apple opened orders despite reported manufacturing constraints, and new buyers quickly faced delivery estimates months after the October 23 launch date. Apple described demand as “nothing short of extraordinary,” but fast-moving estimates alone cannot show how much demand exceeded the available supply.6
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Why Gurman called the launch a mistake
Gurman said Apple knew the foldable faced severe supply constraints but began preorders on October 16 rather than waiting for more inventory. He suggested the company appeared to prioritize getting the device on sale early in its fiscal first quarter.6
18 That motive is a reported interpretation, not a confirmed explanation from Apple.
The scale of the rollout added to the concern. Apple announced preorders in more than 70 countries and regions.23 A separate report said the company had originally planned to start with the U.S. and China before expanding.
17 If supply was already tight, launching broadly could spread available units across more markets; that is a plausible consequence of the rollout, not proof of how Apple allocated stock.
A supply-chain report put final assembly yields at slightly above 60% in mid-September.52 That figure offers context for the reported constraints, but it comes through a secondary report and does not, by itself, establish how many finished phones Apple had available at preorder time.
What happened to preorder delivery dates
Preorders opened October 16, with the first deliveries scheduled for the October 23 launch.2
23 But the U.S. online store was showing January 25 estimates for new orders by about 5:30 a.m. Pacific, roughly 30 minutes after preorders began.
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30 Reports also described estimates reaching January for configurations in both colors.
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That did not mean every buyer had to wait until January: customers who ordered right as preorders opened were still scheduled to receive their phones on launch day.2 It did mean the advertised launch date was no longer a realistic expectation for many later orders.
Apple said demand was extraordinary, that it was working to get the product to customers quickly, and that it would continue accepting online orders.39 Strong demand and inadequate launch inventory can both be true. But because the available reports do not establish how much stock Apple made available, the fast sell-through is not, on its own, a measure of total customer demand.
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What early buyers should expect
A walk-in purchase is uncertain. Reporting said Apple had not confirmed launch-day inventory for walk-in customers, and its online store directed customers to check back on October 24 for pickup availability. That message was not a promise that units would be available then.32
33 Gurman later disputed reports that Apple had instructed stores to warn customers away from walk-ins, so claims that stores would have no launch-day stock are not established.
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Waiting or choosing another phone may make more sense. Gurman said the delays could benefit the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.16 Buyers set on a foldable may prefer to wait; people who need a phone sooner may consider a model that is available earlier. Those are practical options, not confirmed sales outcomes.
Treat shipping dates as estimates, not guarantees. Delivery estimates can change, but the available evidence does not establish that Apple was deliberately quoting overly cautious dates. Buyers who need a phone by a particular date should plan around the estimate they see rather than assume it will improve.
What the rollout could mean for Apple
The Duo starts at $1,999 in the U.S., making timely delivery important to the product’s premium proposition.23 As an analytical matter, delayed shipments could push some sales into a later period rather than eliminate them. Some buyers may switch to an iPhone Pro model; others may postpone a purchase or choose a different foldable. The supplied reporting does not establish how many will take any of those paths.
So the preorder rush is an encouraging early signal, but not enough to prove the Duo is a broad hit or predict its revenue contribution. Apple’s longer-term test is whether it can increase supply and keep interested customers willing to wait. Gurman’s “disaster” label describes the launch experience he criticized—not a definitive verdict on the product’s eventual sales.
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What is the short answer to "Why Mark Gurman Called Apple’s iPhone Duo Preorder Launch a “Major Mistake”"?
Gurman’s “major mistake” verdict was about launch timing: Apple opened preorders despite reported supply constraints, and estimates for new orders reached January 25, 2027, within about 30 minutes.