Pelephone Glitch Inflates iPhone Duo Pre-Sale Prices in Israel
Pelephone's pre-sale launch of the iPhone Duo in Israel faced a two-hour pricing glitch on Friday, as consumers also express concern over limited stock and delivery delays.
The pre-sale launch of Apple's new foldable iPhone series in Israel got off to a turbulent start yesterday, Friday, after Pelephone temporarily listed the iPhone Duo at higher prices than promised.
The pricing discrepancy appeared on the company's website at 15:00 when online pre-orders opened, and persisted for two full hours before being corrected.
Pricing Errors and Market Comparison
The temporary inflated prices displayed on Pelephone's website were:
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256GB model: Listed at 8,349 NIS instead of 8,199 NIS.
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512GB model: Listed at 8,949 NIS instead of 8,799 NIS.
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1TB model: Listed at 10,149 NIS instead of 9,999 NIS.
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2TB model: Listed at 12,349 NIS instead of 12,199 NIS.
Pelephone responded to the incident by stating: "This was an operational error that has been corrected. Device buyers will enjoy the updated prices we announced prior to the start of the sale."
Physical in-store sales are scheduled to begin on October 23, though market sources note that a very limited supply of devices has arrived in Israel for this initial wave.
Delivery Concerns Amid High Demand
Given high consumer demand, buyers are increasingly worried about actual delivery dates. Previous pre-orders for the iPhone 18 series were plagued by long waits and limited stock, leading to delivery terms of up to 60 days.
"With market sources indicating that only a scarce and limited quantity of Duo devices has reached Israel in the current wave, many of those who ordered yesterday are once again uncertain when they will actually receive their new devices."
As major chains such as Partner, KSP, HOT, Cellcom, and iDigital roll out varying price maps for the device, consumers remain on edge regarding both final costs and fulfillment timelines.
