Apple Reopens iPhone Duo Store Pickup, but Slots Are Scarce
Apple has brought back in-store pickup reservations for the iPhone Duo in some countries. Almost no time slots are available, though, with demand far outrunning supply.
Merhabyte Newsdesk · · 2 min read
Apple has begun reopening the Apple Store pickup option for the iPhone Duo on its online store in some countries. The reservation system is working again in places such as Australia, China, Japan and South Korea. A spot check, however, shows availability is extremely low: for every configuration, few or no time slots appear.
During the check, only one iPhone Duo unit was visible for pickup, in Australia, for Saturday. Even that unit disappeared from the screen before this article was published. So while the system has returned in some countries, finding a pickup appointment is, for now, very difficult in practice.
Where it has reopened, and where it is expected next
The situation is different in markets outside the countries where the system has come back. In the US, Canada, the UK and Singapore, Apple's online store is advising customers to check again for in-store pickup on Saturday, October 24.
The reservation system is therefore expected to switch on in other countries step by step as time zones roll over into Saturday. In other words, the picture seen today in only a handful of countries could spread to more of them in the coming hours.
Demand far above expectations
The scarcity of time slots stems from the heavy interest that followed the start of pre-orders. Just a few hours after pre-orders opened last Friday, Apple said demand for the device was extraordinary and that delivery estimates had stretched to late January. The company added that it was working to meet demand as quickly as possible.
In-store pickup, for its part, was offered for only a few minutes in the first moments of pre-orders before being removed. Given that delivery estimates run into January, it is no surprise that pickup slots are so few right now.
Queues at stores
Because of the device's low availability, long queues formed today at Apple Stores in many parts of the world. Some of those in line skipped the reservation and went straight to a store, managing to buy the iPhone Duo on the spot.
For those who were not so lucky, the next best option is the store pickup tool. Anyone interested is advised to watch the iPhone Duo order page over the next day or two and refresh it often. Because available slots can appear and vanish within moments, checking the page at regular intervals may improve the chances of catching one.
