Scalpers Offer iPhone Duo Buyers $448 Extra Outside Beijing Apple Store

Scalper Alex Wang told CNBC that he believed the Duo could be resold at a higher price for half a month, citing tight supply as the main reason. The report said initial interest in Apple’s first foldable phone in China appeared solid despite its eye-popping price tag, and that China is the single largest foldable market globally, according to Counterpoint Research.

Mary Tong, who was first in a line of about 100 people at the Sanlitun store, arrived at 6 a.m. to collect her device. “Apple has been the laggard,” she said. “I think many Chinese do prefer foldable phones.” Customers without reservations also showed up before regular opening hours to try to buy the phone. Apple had said the Duo would not be available for walk-in purchase on launch day in mainland China and would be “limited” in other countries, with each online purchase restricted to two phones, CNBC reported.

Competition in China’s foldable market is intensifying. Huawei, which already has a broad lineup of foldable phones, launched a new trifold called the Mate XT2 priced at about $3,000 on Sept. 7, two days before Apple’s Duo announcement, and is promoting its XiaoYi AI assistant. Xiaomi unveiled its own pricey foldable, the 18 Fold, around the same time, according to the report.

Zhang Zheng said he had tried to order a Duo online but was discouraged by a delivery timeline that stretched to January 2027. He said he still wants to buy one. “I think it will be useful for work and it’s cool to look at,” he said.

Expectations for Apple Intelligence around the launch were negligible, CNBC reported. Apple has said a version of the AI system is set for beta testing this month for the mainland China market and will include features such as live translation, Clean Up in photos and writing tools. On Oct. 14, Beijing approved Alibaba AI models for use in the Duo and other Apple devices as part of the company’s pending AI rollout in the country. Apple received Chinese regulatory clearance over the summer. Chinese official media cited former CEO Tim Cook on a recent China trip as saying Apple’s revamped Siri AI would not be available in the country yet. Duo customer John Zhao said he had tried Apple Intelligence while working overseas and found it “nice but not beyond imagination,” adding that he expected the Chinese version to be less exciting.

Editor's Summary. Apple’s first foldable iPhone launched in China with scalpers outside its Beijing store offering buyers 3,000 yuan extra, reflecting tight supply and solid early interest. Huawei and Xiaomi have already introduced competing foldables, while Apple Intelligence remains a secondary factor in the launch.