AI Bots Snag $1,999 iPhone Duo Stock as Apple Limits Pickup to 20%

3 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Nov 1

Scalpers and other buyers are using AI-powered bots to monitor Apple’s website and grab newly released iPhone Duo units for in-store pickup within seconds, leaving little inventory for ordinary shoppers this year.
Only 20% of launch-weekend Duo supply was reserved for shipping and pickup—the channel bots are exploiting—while Apple placed 80% on store shelves, with just 50 to 250 units per store.
Supply was already tight because the $1,999 phone entered production amid a memory shortage, and Apple further constrained availability by rolling out limited October store drops instead of a broader November release.
The scarcity has fueled resale prices as high as double retail on eBay, while human buyers still line up outside Apple Stores early in the morning because in-person queues remain one of the few ways bots cannot compete.