Apple is struggling to keep pace with the overwhelming demand for its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo. Despite a premium price tag of nearly two thousand dollars, the device vanished from shelves almost immediately after its launch last week. New CEO John Ternus expressed his excitement over the initial reception, but the victory has been tempered by logistical headaches and reports of quality control issues involving cracked interior screens.
Chief Operating Officer Sabhi Kahn admitted during a recent analyst call that the company cannot currently predict when stock levels will stabilize. This uncertainty stems from broader supply chain constraints, specifically a shortage of advanced microprocessor nodes primarily sourced from TSMC in Taiwan. While Apple reported record global iPhone sales overall and a significant jump in Mac revenue, these bottlenecks are expected to linger well into next year, affecting several product lines beyond the foldable phone.
Adding to the pressure are skyrocketing costs for memory storage, fueled by the explosive growth of AI platforms like OpenAI and Anthropic. These industry shifts have forced Apple to raise hardware prices across the board by roughly twenty percent to offset what former leadership described as a massive surge in data center expenses. Even as total annual sales climbed to four hundred seventy nine billion dollars, losses in iPad and wearable sectors highlight a volatile period for the tech giant.
