iPhone Duo resale frenzy cools as limits bite
SingTao · 4 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Apple’s first foldable iPhone Duo officially went on sale on Friday, with pre-order customers in Hong Kong able to collect devices from 8am. Demand had been strong enough during pre-sales for Apple’s estimated delivery window to slip to January, and the company introduced a two-unit purchase cap per customer in markets including the United States, Britain, Japan and Spain. On launch day in Hong Kong, queues formed outside Apple stores and the resale hub at Sim City in Mong Kok, but buy-back prices changed rapidly as supply increased through the morning. By midday, some versions were still profitable for resellers, while others had seen margins narrow sharply or disappear.
Key Points
- Apple limited iPhone Duo purchases to two units per customer after pre-order demand pushed official delivery estimates to January, with the rule confirmed in the US, UK, Japan and Spain
- At Causeway Bay’s Hysan Place Apple Store, collection queues were smaller than on the iPhone 18 Pro launch day, and the first customer arrived around 7am
- In Mong Kok’s Sim City, more than 200 people were waiting before opening, with police and staff managing crowds as lines spilled onto Tung Choi Street
- Early buy-back quotes were strong: one seller offloaded a black 512GB model for HK$24,000, while a white 512GB unit at Hysan was quoted at HK$22,700.
- Prices weakened quickly by late morning and early afternoon; at 11am, a white 256GB model had fallen to HK$19,500, leaving about HK$2,000 profit
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong buyers, the first-day market showed that launch-day flipping can still be profitable, but only within a narrow window before supply catches up. Apple’s two-unit cap may curb casual bulk buying, yet the reports also suggest professional scalpers can still work around such controls, keeping pressure on retail availability and resale volatility