Apple’s iPhone Duo goes on sale in Vietnam

From early morning, major retail chains, including TopZone, FPT Shop, CellphoneS, Di Dong Viet, Minh Tuan Mobile and 24hStore, reported a steady stream of customers collecting their new devices.

However, the launch atmosphere was less bustling than that surrounding the earlier release of the iPhone 18 on September 18.

With an official starting price of VND64.99 million (US$2,510), the iPhone Duo has become Apple’s most expensive iPhone ever to launch in Vietnam in terms of entry-level pricing.

Despite its premium price tag, the foldable device has attracted considerable interest from Vietnamese consumers, according to retailers.

Doan Van Hieu Em, CEO of TopZone, part of The Gioi Di Dong, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper that the launch of the iPhone Duo marked another major turning point in Apple’s mobile device history.

“Apple ushered in the era of touchscreen smartphones in 2007 and introduced a major breakthrough with the edge-to-edge display and Face ID on the iPhone X in 2017, while the iPhone Duo represents a new chapter of the foldable smartphone segment,” he said.

“The product has arrived at the right time, when hardware technology has matured and artificial intelligence (AI) features have become deeply integrated into the user experience.”

Although the device is considerably more expensive than conventional iPhone models, its distinctive user experience and new technology offer value commensurate with the expectations of premium-segment customers, Em said.

He also noted that Apple had imposed global production limits on the new device, restricting the supply.

At TopZone, first-round pre-orders were capped at around 3,000 units, with the retailer expecting to hand over some 2,000 devices on launch day.

Di Dong VIet reported that its initial allocation only met about 2.5 percent of total customer interest.

256GB model and Star White finish lead demand

A representative from Minh Tuan Mobile said that Apple’s entry into the foldable smartphone market has generated significant excitement among technology enthusiasts in Vietnam.

As of the end of Thursday, the retailer had recorded more than 4,000 pre-orders across the new-generation product lineup.

Most consumer interest has focused on the iPhone Duo’s 256GB version in the premium-looking Star White finish.

At Di Dong Viet, the 256GB model accounted for 72 percent of pre-orders, followed by the 512GB version at 20 percent.

The 1TB and 2TB models represented five percent and three percent, respectively.

Star White was the most popular color, attracting 55 percent of customer interest, while Night Sky accounted for the remaining 45 percent.

A similar trend was observed at CellphoneS, where Star White made up as much as 70 percent of pre-registrations.

Nguyen Nhu Thanh, deputy director of Apple’s product category at FPT Shop, said initial customer feedback upon collecting the devices had been highly positive.

Many users praised the Nano-texture display coating, which helps minimize the visibility of optical creases and reduce reflections under strong lighting.

Customers also appreciated the device’s solid feel in the hand and smooth operation, he said.

As of midday on Friday, FPT Shop had handed over some 50 percent of its initial stock and expected to complete 80 percent of deliveries by the end of the day.

The remaining orders were scheduled to be fulfilled over the weekend.

In response to strong domestic demand, several retail chains have pledged to sell the iPhone Duo at its official listed price.

Ho Tac Thanh, CEO at 24hStore, said the company had proactively prepared its inventory, staffing and in-store experience areas to serve customers from the first day of sales.

“Even as the product launches and attracts considerable attention, 24hStore remains committed to selling at the official listed price, without requiring customers to purchase additional products or services as a condition of buying the device,” he said.

The retailer is also offering trade-in subsidies of up to VND4 million ($155) to customers upgrading their devices.