Verizon is paying $100 to iPhone Duo pre-order customers whose deliveries slipped, and it is not yet clear whose fault the delay is.
In an email to affected customers, Verizon cited an "unexpected shipping delay" that means some deliveries will "take a little longer." The carrier is offering a $100 Verizon gift card, usable online or in-store for bill payments or merchandise, with a follow-up email due next week. "We owe you an apology," the company said, adding that "your place in line hasn't changed."
The detail comes from the original reporting, which calls the device the iPhone Duo and cites a reader named Ryan. He pre-ordered on Friday, October 16, when pre-orders opened, and was quoted a delivery date of October 23, launch day. His estimate is now Saturday, November 7. According to that reporting, revised dates posted on forums, Reddit and other social platforms mostly fall between October 31 and November 14. Some Verizon customers did get their phones on October 23, so the problem is not universal. The reporter also said he asked Apple for comment and would update the story if a response came in.
Verizon's wording points to shipping, but the same reporting says it is unclear whether Verizon, Apple or both are responsible. It adds that Apple's own online store shows estimates stretching into late January for new orders, and it mentions alleged manufacturing challenges behind supply constraints. If that is the real cause, a carrier can only apologize for a shortage it does not control.
The remedy has limits. A gift card spendable only with Verizon is a cheap way to keep a customer compared with losing one, and it does nothing for the date. Ryan's wait grew by 15 days, and if Apple's late-January estimates are accurate, people ordering now face a far longer wait than the ones receiving gift cards.