Kuo warned early buyers should expect extended wait times.
The device is predicted to sell out immediately after pre-orders open, with delivery lead times stretching to 4–6 weeks or longer and remaining there through December.
Scarce initial supply, a highly recognizable design, and innovative user experience should support a short-term resale premium.
An ongoing global memory shortage driven by AI data center demand continues to escalate manufacturing costs.
A supplier executive noted that Apple's massive purchasing scale gives it a distinct advantage over smaller competitors.
Chinese smartphone makers are in a weak position to secure more memory chips or negotiate prices.
The supply advantage influences Apple's broader market maneuvers, providing motivation to launch iPhones in spring and capture more market share.
Bloomberg reported that Apple is negotiating to source memory components for the Chinese market from domestic firms ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies.
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Technical evidence of the device's impending arrival emerged in the recent iOS 27 beta codebase, which contains software parameters designated as "foldState" and "angleDegrees" alongside configurations for dual built-in displays.
