Some things take longer to reach us than we expected, and a foldable phone has become one of them. Apple's new Duo, priced at US$2,000, has outrun its supply, leaving buyers to wait into the new year while shelves stay bare. Michael Chiang of Foxconn, the company that quietly builds much of Apple's hardware, answers with the confidence of scale, pointing to a global web of factories that he believes can meet the holiday rush. Beneath the reassurance lies a larger shift: the maker of the iPhone is no longer defined by a single customer, and the machines it now builds for the age of artificial i
Foxconn's Michael Chiang Says It Can Meet Surging iPhone Duo Demand Despite Long Delivery Delays
Demand outrunning supply, with delivery dates stretching to the end of January
Mark
So Foxconn says it can handle the Duo demand. Why does that statement matter?
Mimi
Because buyers are being quoted delivery at the end of January for a US$2,000 phone, and in-store stock sold out fast. Chiang's answer is the supplier's public case that the bottleneck can be solved.
Mark
What was his argument?
Mimi
Scale. More than 240 sites in 24 countries, which he says gives timely supply whenever customers need it.
Luke
Worth noting that's a statement of confidence, not a production figure. He gave no unit numbers or date when backlogs clear.
Mark
And he didn't mention Apple by name, right?
Mimi
Right. He was asked about the Duo and answered in general terms. Still, he toured the Duo line with Apple's COO Sabih Khan in October, so he's close to it.
Luke
Also, the Duo is primarily assembled at the iPhone City campus in central China. The global footprint is real, but it's not clear how much of it actually helps with this device.
Mark
Why bring up the revenue shift?
Mimi
Apple used to be more than half of Hon Hai's revenue. In the second quarter, cloud and networking made up 51% of sales. Apple matters, but AI hardware is driving growth.
Luke
The source doesn't say what caused the delays, whether it's production, components, or simply demand. That's still unknown.
Der Puls
- Foldable iPhone Duo buyers are being quoted delivery dates stretching to the end of January, with in-store stock selling out fast.
- Demand is outrunning supply for Apple's US$2,000 foldable, turning a product launch into a waiting game.
- Foxconn's CEO Michael Chiang says its 240-plus sites across 24 countries can fulfil holiday orders on time.
- Production centres on the 'iPhone City' campus in central China, where Apple's COO recently toured the Duo line.
- Foxconn's growth now rides on AI hardware, with its cloud and networking unit producing 51% of second-quarter sales.
- All eyes turn to the October 30 flagship event and whether January delivery dates begin to shrink.
Some things take longer to reach us than we expected, and a foldable phone has become one of them. Apple's new Duo, priced at US$2,000, has outrun its supply, leaving buyers to wait into the new year while shelves stay bare. Michael Chiang of Foxconn, the company that quietly builds much of Apple's hardware, answers with the confidence of scale, pointing to a global web of factories that he believes can meet the holiday rush. Beneath the reassurance lies a larger shift: the maker of the iPhone is no longer defined by a single customer, and the machines it now builds for the age of artificial intelligence are reshaping what it is.
By the end of January, some buyers who ordered Apple's new foldable online this month may finally receive their phones. The iPhone Duo launched earlier in October at US$2,000, and its waits are among the longest Apple has seen in its modern era. In stores, the limited stock sold out quickly, and the Duo's first weeks have been defined by demand far exceeding supply.
Reassurance has come from Michael Chiang, the rotating chief executive of Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn and Apple's main assembler. Speaking to Bloomberg TV, he pointed to the company's scale, with more than 240 sites in 24 countries, and said he was quite confident the holiday demand could be met. He did not name Apple or the Duo directly, but Chiang accompanied Apple's chief operating officer, Sabih Khan, on a tour of the Duo line at the iPhone City campus in central China in October.
The company has changed considerably. Apple was once more than half of its revenue, but that is no longer true. Its cloud and networking unit now accounts for 51% of sales, and Chiang expects AI to lift demand for consumer gadgets as well.
The next signal arrives October 30, when Hon Hai holds its flagship event, showing Nvidia-powered servers and expected to unveil a new electric vehicle lineup. The question that matters most to buyers is whether those January delivery dates begin to move closer.
By the end of January, if you ordered Apple's new foldable online this month, your phone might finally arrive. That is the delivery window some buyers were quoted for the iPhone Duo, which launched earlier in October at US$2,000 (S$2,600). It is among the longest waits for a new Apple product in the company's modern era.
In stores, the picture was simpler: the limited stock sold out quickly. Between the empty shelves and the stretched online dates, the Duo's first weeks have been defined by demand outrunning supply.
The man now offering reassurance is Michael Chiang, the rotating chief executive officer of Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn and Apple's main assembly partner. Speaking to Bloomberg TV, he was asked whether the company could meet holiday-season orders for the Duo. He pointed to scale. Hon Hai has more than 240 sites in 24 countries, he said, which lets it supply customers on time whenever they need it, and he said he was quite confident the demand can be fulfilled.
Chiang did not name Apple or the iPhone Duo in his answer. But he is central to the relationship. When Apple's chief operating officer, Sabih Khan, visited Foxconn's facility in central China in October, Chiang accompanied him on a tour of the Duo production line.
That facility is the so-called iPhone City campus, where the Duo is now primarily assembled. Foxconn also makes components for Apple at other sites in China and elsewhere, which is the footprint Chiang was referring to.
Chiang took on the rotating CEO role in April and is regarded as a rising star inside the company. The rotating programme is how Chairman Young Liu has been preparing potential successors.
The company he helps run is not the one it used to be. Apple once accounted for more than half of Hon Hai's revenue; that is no longer true. In the second quarter, its cloud and networking unit contributed 51% of total sales, a sign that AI-related hardware now drives the group's growth. Chiang added that he expects AI to lift demand for consumer gadgets too.
The next look at that shift comes on October 30, when Hon Hai holds its annual flagship event. It is scheduled to show its latest Nvidia-powered server offerings and is expected to unveil a new electric vehicle line-up. Beyond that, the thing to watch is whether the Duo's January delivery dates start to move closer.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
With over 240 sites in 24 countries, Hon Hai can supply on time, and he is quite confident it can fulfil the demand.— Michael Chiang, Hon Hai rotating CEO, to Bloomberg TV
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