Autonomous AI agents have become the main tool for hunting down the scarce foldable iPhone Duo, with both resellers and ordinary buyers using them to grab the new device within seconds, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to Gizmodo, citing data from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, the bots operate around the clock: they monitor Apple's official website and instantly arrange in-store pickup as soon as the devices appear in stock. As a result, ordinary users have been left with virtually no chance of legally buying the new device before the end of this year without serious effort.
On secondary marketplaces such as eBay, the frenzy has already led resellers to flip the eagerly awaited gadgets for twice the retail price.
The resulting shortage is being linked to a difficult production situation. Because of a shortage of memory chips, the base price of the iPhone Duo has risen to a record $1,999, turning the smartphone into a luxury item. In addition, Apple has adopted a strategy of limited supplies, allocating the bulk of volumes to the US and Chinese markets and sending just 50–250 devices per store to retail outlets.
On launch days, the company sent about 80% of its stock to the shelves of physical stores, while allocating the remaining 20% to delivery and online reservations, which the algorithms have been targeting. While the programs snap up online queues, real buyers are forced to line up on the street outside Apple Store entrances from early morning.