Apple’s U.S. shop schedules iPhone Duo preorder checkout for October 16, 2026, at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Its Get Ready setup lets buyers choose a configuration in advance to speed checkout when the window opens, according to Apple’s preorder page. The scheduled window gives U.S. buyers a concrete update to our earlier coverage of the rumored foldable’s release timing.
When U.S. iPhone Duo preorder checkout opens
Apple has set the U.S. checkout opening for 5:00 a.m. PT on October 16. The time is Pacific, so buyers elsewhere in the country should account for their local time zone when planning to order.
What Apple’s Get Ready setup does before checkout
Get Ready is a head start on checkout: buyers can prepare a configuration before preorders open, and Apple says doing so can make checkout faster. The setup itself is not an order; buyers still need to complete checkout after the preorder window opens. Apple’s U.S. store lists AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and a “Connect on your own later” option.
9to5Mac’s screen-recorded walkthrough shows Apple’s Store interface and the configuration-preparation flow.
The reported plan for in-store demonstrations
In an October 12 report, NDTV Profit attributed a planned store demonstration campaign to Mark Gurman’s Bloomberg newsletter, Power On. The reported allocations include more than 150 demo units at Apple’s Fifth Avenue flagship in New York, around 100 at the Apple Park Visitor Center in Cupertino, and 30–40 at selected stores in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Manhattan. Regular Apple Stores are expected to average roughly 20 demo units each, according to the report.
The reported displays would give the foldable its own presentation in some locations: side-of-store zones called “The Avenue,” central spotlight tables at some flagships, and fixtures for demonstrating the folding motion. The plan also describes customized MagSafe stands displaying an opened iPhone Duo between two standard iPhones, for a screen-size comparison and a StandBy-mode demonstration.
