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iPhone Duo Pre-Order Starts Oct 16; US Buyers Get Name on Startup Screen

The iPhone Duo will greet buyers by name—but only if purchased in a US Apple Store, and only at first boot.

By Spec Sheet

The Mobile Desk · (10 Oct 2026)

Reported fromoutlets, credited2
Photo via MacRumors

Apple will add your name to the iPhone Duo’s startup screen — if you buy it at a US Apple Store. “Hello, [Name]” appears on first boot, replacing the standard “Hello” greeting. It’s a retail-only personalization, available in English and Spanish, and applies only to the iPhone Duo: not to online orders, not to other models, not outside the United States.

No mention of customization via Settings or post-purchase software toggle, this is strictly an in-store service, handled by staff during purchase or in-store pickup. Pre-orders open October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time. The phone ships October 23. Starting price: $1,999.

That’s $1,000 more than the iPhone 16 Pro Max. And double the base price of last year’s iPhone SE. Apple hasn’t confirmed whether the name appears in any system UI beyond the initial boot screen, or whether it survives a factory reset. The feature doesn’t change performance, battery life, or camera specs.

It’s a small, physical-world flourish, tied to where and how you buy. And it’s the first time Apple has offered on-device name engraving beyond the backplate. Retail staff will need to enter the name manually before handing over the device. So if you’re pre-ordering for in-store pickup, expect a brief extra step at collection.

If you’re ordering online and shipping to home? You get the standard “Hello.” The iPhone Duo remains unannounced outside of Gurman’s reporting and MacRumors’ confirmation. No specs, no renders, no carrier details. Just this one concrete, localized detail about how it greets you when it wakes up.

Pre-orders begin Thursday, October 16.

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Topicsappleiphone-16iPhone Duopre-order

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How this story was made

Written by the Hitechreports desk from the reporting credited above, with facts attributed to their original publishers. We do not test devices ourselves; anything about performance, battery life or cameras comes from the outlets that did. Prices are as reported at the time of writing. Editorial policy · Report an error

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Filed by The Mobile Desk

Phones from leak to launch to price cut: what was announced, what it costs where, and when it goes on sale. Indian launches and prices included, not appended.

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