The iPhone Duo is finally here. But if you were expecting the kind of madness usually associated with a new iPhone launch, Mumbai had a rather different story to tell. On October 23rd at 5:45am, I headed to the Apple Store at BKC to see just how many people had turned up for the live sale of the iPhone Duo. And honestly, the scene was surprisingly quiet. There were around 15 people waiting outside the store.
Now, that might not sound unusual until you compare it with what we’ve seen during previous iPhone launches. I remember seeing long queues of people waiting for the iPhone 17 series at Select Citywalk, Saket. So, seeing such a small crowd this time definitely left me scratching my head. But perhaps the crowd outside doesn’t tell the entire story.
One customer claimed that only around 6,000 devices were available for the entire week. Another customer had a different explanation. According to him, the biggest hurdle is the price. With the iPhone Duo costing as much as it does, it may simply be out of reach for the average Indian consumer.He also pointed towards stock availability and the fact that Apple had not clearly communicated about walk-ins at its stores.
Also Read: Apple iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8: Full Comparison
But the people who did turn up had some interesting reasons for being there.One customer, a content creator, had travelled all the way from Surat. Already a proud owner of the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, he said his newly purchased iPhone Duo wasn’t even for himself, it was going to be a giveaway. Then there was a customer who simply wanted to experience the concept. His plan? Buy two-one for himself and one for his girlfriend. And then things got interesting. family.
So, while the queue may have been short, the demand certainly doesn’t seem to be.In fact, try ordering an Apple Duo right now on the official website and you could be waiting until January 23 for delivery. That’s a pretty long wait, suggesting that demand is significantly higher than what the crowd outside the store might indicate.
Which brings us to the big question: Did Apple do this on purpose to create hype around the product or is the hype simply happening somewhere else? And more importantly, will this demand continue once the novelty wears off, or will the buzz around Apple’s newest experiment eventually fade away?