On the Japanese Apple Store, no in-store pickup date was shown for the iPhone Duo despite it being the release date. Store pickup could not be selected at any of the 11 stores, and the US listing suggests that the situation is unclear. The stores open at 8:00 a.m. on the release date, but inventory availability has not been disclosed, according to reports.
At the Japanese Apple Store, all 88 combinations of the 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB configurations were checked across Japan's 11 stores on the launch date. In every case, in-store pickup could not be selected, and the only message displayed was “Cannot be picked up.” No estimated pickup date was shown anywhere.
At the U.S. Apple Store, the pickup availability message reads “Check back for availability on 10.24,” prompting customers to check again on or after that date. By contrast, the Japanese online display does not show any information indicating that availability is subject to change.
The 11 Japanese stores will open at 8:00 a.m. on launch day, but there is no information on whether stock will be available for walk-in customers without reservations. The announcement of the opening time and the availability of stock appear to be treated as separate matters.
For delivery, the shipping date for the 256GB Night Sky model remains fixed at 22 January. A previous case in which iPhone 18 Pro Max in-store pickup slots reappeared after some time is considered a useful reference. The U.S. announcement and the date on which the Japanese page is updated will be closely watched for future developments.
Among overseas reactions, many view securing a reservation and waiting until the 24th as the practical strategy, while reports suggest that comments from store employees may vary by region. Depending on how in-store guidance is presented in Japan, in-store pickup slots could open online first.