Taipei: The latest iPhone models, the iPhone 18 Pro series and the iPhone Duo, made a rapid exit from the virtual shelves of Chunghwa Telecom Co., selling out within a mere two minutes after preorders opened on Thursday afternoon. This swift sell-out was confirmed by Chunghwa Telecom, one of Taiwan's major telecom operators, late Friday night. According to Focus Taiwan, Apple had unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro series and the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, early Thursday morning Taiwan time. The anticipation surrounding these new releases was palpable, as Chunghwa Telecom, along with Taiwan Mobile Co. and Far EasTone Telecommunications Co., began or were poised to begin taking preorders. These telecom operators expect the new iPhones to stimulate a surge in handset upgrades, despite the higher price tags driven by more expensive chips. The new series comes with notable pricing, with the 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro starting at NT$44,900 (US$1,419), compared to the previous iPhone 17 Pro's NT$39,900. Similarly, the 6.9-inch iPhone 18 Pro Max is priced at NT$49,900, up from the iPhone 17 Pro Max's NT$44,900. The iPhone 18 Pro series is available in four colors: Burgundy, Glacier, Silver, and Black. Meanwhile, the iPhone Duo, the foldable variant, starts at NT$74,900 for a 256GB model, with a 2TB model priced at NT$118,900, and comes in Star White and Night Sky colors. Chunghwa Telecom cited a survey indicating that 70 percent of Apple enthusiasts favored the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max, with 45 percent opting for the 512GB model. The Glacier color was preferred by 46 percent of respondents, while 26 percent were inclined towards Burgundy. For the iPhone Duo, 60 percent of prospective buyers preferred the Star White color, with the remaining 40 percent favoring Night Sky. Taiwan Mobile also reported a significant surge in preorders, with figures nearly doubling those of the iPhone 17 Pro series. The iPhone Duo, in particular, sold out in just two minutes on its myfone online store. According to Taiwan Mo bile, the iPhone 18 Pro Max emerged as the most popular model, capturing about 50 percent of the new iPhone preorders, with the 256GB version being the most sought-after configuration. Burgundy was the preferred color, trailed by Glacier. Far Eastone is set to commence preorders at 8 p.m. on Saturday, having already accepted preorder registrations since Thursday afternoon. These registrations have reportedly more than doubled compared to last year, with Burgundy being the most favored color and the 512GB iPhone 18 Pro Max the most popular configuration. However, the three telecom service providers have not disclosed specific preorder volumes. The iPhone 18 Pro series will officially go on sale at the three telecom operators' outlets at 8 a.m. on Sept. 18, while the iPhone Duo will be available in stores from Oct. 23.