Pre-orders for Apple's first-ever foldable iPhone opened at 8 a.m. ET (5 a.m.

PT) on Friday, October 16, and the initial batch on the Apple Store sold out almost instantly.

The New York Post reports that buyers who ordered in the first minutes still saw October 23 launch-day delivery, but within half an hour Apple's US store was showing late-January 2027 delivery dates for every configuration, in both colors and all four storage tiers from 256GB to 2TB.

Orders opened across more than 70 countries and regions, with the device launching in stores on October 23 and a second wave of countries on October 30.

The scramble left plenty of would-be buyers venturing online.

The New York Post recounts customers who logged on at 8:03 a.m. only to be stuck on Apple's 'we love that early energy' loading screen, then watched their delivery estimate slip from November 2 to late November and early December as stock vanished while they checked out.

One user said a pre-order set up two weeks earlier glitched out at the moment of purchase, while another posted 'iPhone Duo won't deliver until January 25th 2027?' alongside a screenshot of their order screen.

Supply was never likely to match a conventional iPhone launch. According to China's Securities Times via 9to5Mac, as cited by Mashable, Apple increased Duo production by 30 percent in anticipation of demand, but that still was not enough to keep pace with the initial rush.

The Apple Post notes this is an entirely new product category for Apple, making it hard to predict how supply compares with an annual iPhone launch, and advised buyers hoping for a first-wave device to check availability early rather than assume launch-day stock would remain available.

Delivery estimates, it warned, can move beyond release day as initial stock is claimed.

Mashable's hands-on notes a passport-style design, nano-texture inner display, hidden selfie camera, A20 Pro chip and a hinge with a flexible graphite pipe for cooling, and reviewer Stan Schroeder said it 'works amazingly well.'

Pricing starts at $1,999 with 256GB, climbing to $3,199 for a 2TB model — the most expensive iPhone ever made.

With backorders stretching to January on Apple's own store, deals are the realistic route for impatient buyers.

According to ZDNET, T-Mobile offers up to $1,000 off with a trade-in or a new line on Experience Beyond, AT&T up to $1,200 with a $230-plus trade-in and eligible plan, Xfinity Mobile up to $1,300 on Mobile Plus, and Apple up to $885 in trade-in credit or a $57.99/month lease.

Mashable adds that carriers showed Duo delivery dates in November to December where Apple's store showed January, and Apple gives up to $885 for iPhone 13-or-newer trade-ins. AppleCare+ runs $19.99 monthly and cuts the $999 inner-screen repair to $99.

The sellout is a strong early signal for Apple's bet that it can do for foldables what it did for smartwatches and wireless earbuds — the New York Post reports analysts claim the device could usher foldable phones into the mainstream.

CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on September 1 after 25 years at the company, argued rivals built foldables that 'feel like two phones awkwardly stuck together.'