Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple pulled the iPhone Duo launch forward. Apple had planned to wait until November and start with only the U.S. and China. Instead it sent phones to stores around the world in October. Stores got only 50 to 250 units each, depending on size and location, and about 80% of them went on the shelves for walk-in buyers that first weekend. The rest went to shipping and in-store pickup, and that's the slice the bots go after. In Gurman's words, “scalpers and other buyers are using AI-powered bots to monitor Apple’s website and snap up newly available inventory for in-store pickup within seconds.”
One Reddit seller said they got double the $1,999 retail price for an iPhone Duo on eBay. Gurman also found high-storage and blue models in especially short supply. Until supply catches up, the early-morning line outside an Apple Store is the surest way to get one. Online pickup slots go to whichever bot refreshes fastest.