Apple’s first foldable iPhone carries a starting price that varies by more than $2,500 across markets

Apple’s first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, goes on sale Oct. 23 at prices that range from $1,999 in the United States to the equivalent of roughly $4,742 in Turkey for the same base model, according to Apple’s own online stores and a currency survey by the market research firm Nukenie.

The device was unveiled Sept. 9 at an Apple event in Cupertino, the first product launch overseen by new chief executive John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on Sept. 1. Apple priced the 256GB base model at $1,999 in the U.S., rising to $3,199 for the top 2TB configuration. Pre-orders open Oct. 16, with the phone shipping in the U.S. and more than 70 other countries and regions a week later, and in 28 further markets on Oct. 30, Apple said in its launch announcement.

Regional list prices

Apple’s national online stores list the following starting prices for the 256GB model, before any local taxes are added at checkout in markets where tax is not already included:

• United States: $1,999
• United Kingdom: £1,999
• Canada: C$2,999
• Australia: A$3,499
• Germany: €2,299
• France: €2,339
• Japan: ¥364,800
• India: ₹2,99,900
• Singapore: S$3,099
• United Arab Emirates: AED 8,499
• China: 15,999 yuan

In each market, the price steps up at a fixed rate for higher storage. In the U.S. and U.K., each tier adds $200 or £200 respectively, reaching $3,199 and £3,199 for 2TB. India’s tiers rise by ₹25,000, ₹50,000 and ₹75,000, taking the top model to ₹4,49,900. Germany and France both step up by €250, €500 and €750 per tier.

Same phone, different bill

Converted to a single currency at rates in mid-September, the spread between markets is wide. Nukenie’s survey, cited by the Seoul Economic Daily, put the cheapest available price at $1,999 in low-tax U.S. jurisdictions, followed by Hong Kong at $2,232, low-tax Canadian provinces at $2,280 and the United Arab Emirates at $2,314. Japan came in at $2,377, China at $2,384 and South Korea at roughly $2,459, ranking 13th-cheapest among the markets Nukenie surveyed. Turkey was the most expensive market surveyed, at $4,742 for the base model and about $6,928 for the 2TB version.

India’s rupee price converts to roughly $3,564 at current exchange rates, about $1,565 more than the U.S. price for the same model, a gap largely attributed to a 22% import duty applied to phones sold in the country. Apple has historically left India pricing unchanged for extended periods even as exchange rates move, according to past pricing of the iPhone 17 line.

Apple has not published an official explanation for the size of these gaps. Analysts and outlets that have compared the listings attribute the differences chiefly to local sales tax and value-added tax rates, import duties, and each market’s currency movement against the dollar rather than to any single Apple policy.

China: a more competitive field

In China, Apple’s third-largest market by revenue, the iPhone Duo lists for 15,999 yuan, about $2,230. That places it above Xiaomi’s newly launched 18 Fold, priced at 10,999 yuan, and below Huawei’s tri-fold Mate XT2, priced at 19,999 yuan, both introduced days before Apple’s event. Early reaction on the Chinese platform WeChat, reported by CNBC, centered on affordability relative to local wages rather than the device’s features. Apple’s Chinese website has noted the phone will go on sale in the country only once regulatory approval is granted, according to the South China Morning Post.

Accessories and background

Apple is also selling a matching case for $79 and a “Folio with Kickstand” cover for $129 in the U.S., with regional pricing for those accessories not yet published in most markets.

The iPhone Duo is Apple’s first entry into a foldable-phone category that Samsung, Google, Huawei and other manufacturers have sold for several years. It features a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display, a titanium frame, Touch ID rather than Face ID, and no physical SIM tray in any market, relying instead on eSIM.

What remains unconfirmed

Apple has not yet published pricing for every market where the phone will eventually be sold, including the 28 countries added to the rollout on Oct. 30. Regional pricing for the Duo Case and Duo Folio outside the U.S. had not been published as of this writing. Currency-converted comparisons in this article reflect exchange rates at the time cited by each source and will shift as rates move.

Sources

Prices are drawn from Apple’s own national store pages and from outlets that compiled and converted those listings; the ranking of “cheapest” and “most expensive” markets is attributed to the Nukenie survey as reported by the Seoul Economic Daily.

Wire services and international press

• CNBC, “The iPhone Duo enters China’s crowded foldable market — and faces a price test.” https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/11/the-iphone-duo-enters-chinas-crowded-foldable-market.html
• Nikkei Asia, “Apple’s not-so-surprising, hard-to-afford foldable phone.” https://asia.nikkei.com/editor-s-picks/editor-in-chief-s-picks/editor-s-choice-apple-s-not-so-surprising-hard-to-afford-foldable-phone

Official source

• Apple Newsroom, “Apple unveils iPhone Duo.” https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/09/apple-unveils-iphone-duo/

Country-by-country pricing roundups

• MacObserver, “iPhone Duo Price by Country: US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Japan, India, Singapore and UAE.” https://www.macobserver.com/tips/round-ups/iphone-duo-price-by-country-us-uk-canada-australia-germany-france-japan-india-singapore-ua/
• MacObserver, “iPhone Duo Price in the UK and India: Every Storage Tier and the October Dates.” https://www.macobserver.com/tips/round-ups/iphone-duo-price-uk-india-every-storage-tier-october-dates/
• Seoul Economic Daily, “Korea Ranks 13th Cheapest for Apple’s First Foldable iPhone.” https://en.sedaily.com/finance/2026/09/11/korea-ranks-13th-cheapest-for-apples-first-foldable-iphone

China market pricing

• Time News, “Apple Launches Foldable iPhone Duo at $2,230 in China’s Crowded Market.” https://time.news/apple-launches-foldable-iphone-duo-at-2230-in-chinas-crowded-market/
• SiliconReport, “Apple sets 15,999 yuan price for foldable iPhone Duo in China.” https://www.siliconreport.com/apple-sets-15-999-yuan-price-for-foldable-iphone-duo-in-china

Background on India pricing gap

• The Eastern Herald, “iPhone Duo Prices: India Pays $1,565 More Than the US.” https://easternherald.com/2026/09/10/iphone-duo-price-india-us-uk-australia-canada/

Editor’s note on sourcing One roundup (Esquire India) listed the U.K. price in euros rather than pounds, conflicting with two independent MacObserver articles that cite £1,999–£3,199 sourced directly from Apple’s U.K. store; the pound figure was used here as the better-corroborated version. Pricing for the 28 countries joining the rollout on Oct. 30, and for most markets’ accessory pricing, was not available at the time of writing and is not included above. Currency conversions cited from the Nukenie survey reflect a single point-in-time snapshot (Sept. 10) and are presented as reported, not independently recalculated.