CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to be difficult to buy when it goes on sale later this month, as production challenges limit the number of units available for one of the most anticipated smartphone launches in years.

Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo open Friday, Oct. 16, at 5 a.m. Pacific time, or 8 a.m. Eastern, with the device arriving in customers' hands and stores beginning Oct. 23.

But buyers hoping to secure one on launch day may need to move quickly. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that supply of the device will be limited at launch, and wrote in his Power On newsletter that anyone who wants the foldable phone should "plan ahead."

Launch came sooner than expected

The constrained rollout follows months of reported manufacturing difficulties.

According to Gurman, Apple believed about two months ago that production constraints could prevent sales from starting until later in November. The company has since built up enough inventory to proceed with an October release, though stock is still expected to remain limited.

Final assembly yields for the device were only slightly above 60% as of mid-September, according to MacRumors' sources, with a mature production line still estimated to be six months to a year away. Yield refers to the share of units coming off the assembly line that meet quality standards.

Earlier reports suggested the delays did not stem from a single bottleneck but from........

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