---
title: "iPhone 18 Pro Without a Frenzy: Preorders Started Unusually Sluggish Amid Anticipation for the Foldable iPhone Duo"
description: "Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, opened on September 12, started unusually calmly: most configurations are available without delays. Analysts attribute this to anticipation for the foldable iPhone Duo and economic pressure."
date: 2026-09-14T11:16:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/iphone-18-pro-preorders-without-frenzy-iphone-duo
tags: [apple, iphone-18-pro, iphone-duo, smartphone, pre-orders, foldable-phone]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# iPhone 18 Pro Without a Frenzy: Preorders Started Unusually Sluggish Amid Anticipation for the Foldable iPhone Duo

![Black iPhone 18 Pro with triple camera on a dark background — the model whose preorders started unexpectedly sluggish](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/14/iphone-18-pro-predzakazy-bez-azhota-iphone-duo/iphone-18-pro-predzakazy-bez-azhota-iphone-duo-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, opened on September 12, 2026, showed no sign of the usual frenzy: most configurations are available without delays ahead of the September 18 launch date
- Among the reasons are anticipation for the foldable iPhone Duo (pre-orders in October), economic pressure, and the atypical opening of pre-orders on a Saturday
- Analysts allow that the absence of delays may be the result of Apple increasing production volumes, rather than falling demand
- Full conclusions about the success of the lineup are possible only after the sales cycle is complete

On September 9, 2026, Apple held a major presentation of its new flagship smartphones, and on September 12 — a Saturday — the company opened pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. However, unlike in previous years, when the most in-demand configurations sold out within minutes, the market this time recorded an unusually calm start. According to Apple Insider, as cited by RBC-Ukraine, within the first hour after pre-orders opened in the US, none of the standard iPhone 18 Pro versions showed any shift in the delivery timeline. The official launch of the devices is scheduled for September 18, 2026, and at the time of publication, most configurations remained available for pickup on that same day.

### What the First Day of Sales Showed

A detailed breakdown of the configurations confirms the picture of calm demand. The base iPhone 18 Pro had no delays in the overwhelming majority of variants: the only exception was the silver (Silver) model with 512 GB of storage, for which a two- to three-week shipping delay was recorded. Among the higher-end Pro Max line, 1 TB and 2 TB storage options are available without delays in most color choices, with the exception of the 2 TB burgundy (Burgundy) variant. The first shipping deadlines shifted for popular configurations: the 256 GB and 512 GB versions in Burgundy, as well as the 256 GB options in Glacier, Silver, and Black. At present, most of them are expected to be delivered within two to three weeks — a figure that in past cycles was typical for exotic combinations, not for mass-market configurations.

### Why Buyers Are Postponing Their Decision

Experts highlight several key factors explaining the audience's restrained behavior. First, a significant share of consumer attention has been captured by the announced foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, whose pre-orders will open as early as October 2026. Many users are consciously delaying their purchase of the classic flagship in order to compare the specifications, price, and form factor of the foldable device. Second, buyers' decisions are influenced by the overall economic pressure: rising prices on electronics due to component shortages and macroeconomic instability make the purchase of a new smartphone a more deliberate step. Third, analysts point to the atypical choice of day for opening pre-orders — Apple did so on a Saturday, which traditionally reduces the initial surge of interest compared to weekdays.

### Contradictory Data

Nevertheless, not all analysts are in a hurry to draw conclusions about a "failure" of the lineup. The counterargument is that Apple may have significantly increased the production volumes of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max compared to previous generations. In that case, the absence of delays and the free availability of configurations do not indicate falling demand but are the result of quality logistics and inventory planning. Thus, identical visual indicators — stock availability — can be interpreted in opposite ways: as a sign of sluggish interest or as the outcome of successful production scaling. According to experts, full conclusions about the success of the lineup can only be drawn once the entire sales cycle is complete, not based on the first day of pre-orders.

### Context and Outlook

The situation with the iPhone 18 Pro is unfolding against the backdrop of a restructuring of Apple's product strategy. The foldable iPhone Duo, whose arrival is expected in October, becomes the company's first foldable smartphone and potentially changes the entire architecture of the lineup. For the classic Pro models, this means that a segment of the audience that previously upgraded automatically is now considering an alternative. At the same time, the economic climate of 2026 — with rising prices on semiconductors and memory — makes flagship smartphones more expensive, narrowing the pool of impulse buyers. Nevertheless, historically Apple has demonstrated the ability to recover sales volumes within the first two weeks after launch, once the devices become physically available in retail. The final picture of demand for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will become clear no earlier than the end of September — the beginning of October 2026.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Preorder failure or a bet on the Duo: why the new iPhone 18 is being bought without a frenzy](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/proval-peredzamovlen-chi-stavka-duo-chomu-1789376350.html) - Основные данные о предзаказах, конфигурациях с задержками и причинах вялого спроса. Даты: презентация 9.09, предзаказ 12.09, релиз 18.09.2026.
- [Surprisingly low demand amid the opening of pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max](https://svobodanews.ru/tehnologii/udivitelno-malyy-spros-na-fone-otkrytiya-predzakazov-na-iphone-18-pro-i-pro-max.html) - Подтверждает картину низкого спроса и ссылается на Apple Insider как первичный источник данных о графиках поставок.
- [Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro started unexpectedly sluggishly](https://mt.today/predzakazy_na_iphone_18_pro_startovali_neozhidanno_valo!azxclt) - Согласуется с общей нарративной линией; упоминает фактор iPhone Duo и экономический контекст.
- [Surprisingly low demand amid the opening of pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max](https://www.dgl.ru/technique/smartphones/spros-na-iphone-18-pro.html) - Дополнительное подтверждение данных о конфигурациях и сроках отгрузки. Упоминает задержку Silver 512 ГБ и Burgundy 2 ТБ.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: When did pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro open, and when is the launch?
**A:** Pre-orders opened on September 12, 2026 (a Saturday), and the official launch and the start of retail sales are scheduled for September 18, 2026.

### Q: Which iPhone 18 Pro configurations have a delivery delay?
**A:** A significant two- to three-week delay has been recorded only for the iPhone 18 Pro in silver (Silver) with 512 GB of storage. Among the Pro Max, the 2 TB burgundy (Burgundy) variant has a delay, as do the popular 256/512 GB configurations in Burgundy and the 256 GB options in Glacier, Silver, and Black.

### Q: Why is demand for the iPhone 18 Pro lower than in past years?
**A:** Experts highlight three main reasons: anticipation for the foldable iPhone Duo (pre-orders in October 2026), overall economic pressure and rising component prices, and the atypical opening of pre-orders on a Saturday.

### Q: Is the sluggish start to pre-orders a sign of the lineup's failure?
**A:** No, it is too early to draw definitive conclusions. Apple may have increased production volumes, and the absence of delays may be the result of quality logistics planning. Full conclusions are possible only after the sales cycle is complete.

### Q: What is the iPhone Duo, and when will it appear?
**A:** The iPhone Duo is Apple's announced foldable smartphone, whose pre-orders will open in October 2026. It is the company's first foldable device, and its arrival is shifting the attention of part of the audience away from the classic Pro models.