Apple limits iPhone Duo and 18 Pro Max to reservations in Japan, South Korea
Apple said on 19 October that it will sell the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro Max only to customers with reservations at its stores in Japan and South Korea, citing limited supply and anti-scalping measures. The restriction follows a series of steps that began on 12 October when Apple opened a “Get Ready” window allowing customers to configure iPhone Duo specifications and payment options before official pre-orders started on 16 October, according to MacRumors. After the pre-order launch, customers who missed the earliest window were given delivery estimates for late January, and Apple store staff were instructed to warn walk-in shoppers that purchases without a reservation were unlikely to be fulfilled, also reported by MacRumors.
Analysts noted that Apple started pre-orders despite anticipating limited inventory, and 9to5Mac later reported that delivery dates slipped into the next year. The company subsequently moved up delivery dates for many orders in Japan, 9to5Mac added.
