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The first foldable iPhone is designed to offer a personalized welcome: upon first use, the display will show the buyer's name instead of a generic greeting. This feature is being set up in Apple Stores. However, this is only available in the US – those who purchase the iPhone Duo in a German store on the same day will receive the standard welcome message.
Apple will release the iPhone Duo on Friday, October 23. According to Apple's announcement regarding the iPhone Duo, Germany is among the more than 63 countries and regions included in the first wave. Apple is planning a small gesture for its US stores to mark the launch.
It became known through a report by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman on X on the night of October 10th. According to the report, US stores can prepare the device at the time of purchase so that it displays the buyer's name when first switched on.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Apple Stores in the US should be able to configure the iPhone Duo to greet the buyer by name upon first startup.
- According to the report, the feature is only available in the USA, only for the iPhone Duo, and only in English and Spanish.
- In Germany, the iPhone Duo launches on the same day; a personal welcome is not planned.
- In US stores, a system called Presto already exists that turns on and updates iPhones in their sealed packaging.
Personal greeting upon first power-on
A new iPhone typically begins the setup process with a "Hello" in various languages. On an iPhone Duo from a US store, this message should appear in the user's name. Gurman gives the example of "Hello, Mark"—using his own first name.
He writes about a system in Apple stores that customizes the initial device startup. He immediately adds three limitations: The welcome message is only available in the US, only for the iPhone Duo, and only in English and Spanish. It is therefore not available for the other new models, such as the iPhone 18 Pro.
Presto as a technical basis
US stores already have equipment capable of processing sealed iPhones. Apple's Presto system wirelessly powers on iPhones in their unopened packaging, installs a software update, and then powers them off again. According to reports at the time, each process takes 15 to 30 minutes, and the packaging remains sealed. Gurman first described the system in 2023, and it has been in use in US stores since 2024.
I believe Presto is the obvious basis for the greeting, because the system can already influence the initial startup of a packaged device. However, the process isn't entirely identical: Currently, Presto operates before the sale and is based on model, color, and storage capacity, not on an individual buyer. For the personalized greeting, the store has to assign the device to a specific person after the purchase.
Same start, different reception in Germany
There's no difference in the release dates between the US and Germany. The iPhone Duo can be pre-ordered in both countries starting Friday, October 16th, at 5 AM Pacific Time – that's 2 PM in Germany. Those who prepare to purchase it starting October 12th will save themselves a few steps on the day of purchase.
| USA | Germany | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-order | October 16, 5 a.m. PT | October 16, 2 PM CEST |
| Sales launch | October 23 | October 23 |
| Greeting you by name in the Apple Store | Yes, in English and Spanish. | no |
| Starting price | – | 2,299 euros |
A gesture for the home market
I see the greeting primarily as an incentive to buy the iPhone Duo in a store at launch rather than online. English and Spanish cover the two most widely spoken languages in the US, so the feature is clearly tailored to the domestic market. It doesn't change anything about the device itself: After setup, a personally greeted iPhone Duo is indistinguishable from any other.
The source is reliable. Gurman has close ties to Apple's retail organization, he was the first to describe Presto, and Bloomberg reported the October 13th event date at the end of September, before Apple confirmed it on October 8th. This time, however, he's basing his information on a single post on X, without any further details about the in-store experience.
If you buy the iPhone Duo on October 23rd in a German Apple Store, the setup process begins just like with any other iPhone. For many, however, the speed at which the device actually arrives after pre-ordering will likely be more important than the greeting.
Would a personalized greeting like yours make you buy the iPhone Duo in a store instead of online – or does it all come down to when you actually receive the device? Tell us in the comments where you order from.
