The iPhone Duo is great, but is it worth forking out R50k?
With rumours pointing to an eye-watering R50,000 starting price, Apple's upcoming iPhone Duo promises unmatched polish, but its high cost makes it a tough sell against established foldable rivals.
The iPhone Duo is poised to become the market-leading foldable upon its launch on October 16, but a major question remains: is it worth the steep price? At the very least, the base 256GB model is rumored to cost R50,000, which is quite a stretch for what appears to be modest storage. In fact, a 1TB iPhone 18 Pro Max is available for R45,699, yet it comes with a superior camera system.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, on the other hand, starts at R40,999 for a 256GB version, which seems a more reasonable asking price for a foldable. Samsung has been perfecting foldable technology since 2019, making it a safer investment compared to Apple's first-generation product. The Huawei Mate X7 is even cheaper at R39,999 for a 512GB model, which offers double the storage for less.
However, it's only when you compare the entry-level Duo to the top-tier offerings from competitors that it comes close to a comparable price. Apple's strategy is to take its time to perfect hardware, unlike competitors who rush to release bleeding-edge technology. The iPhone Duo's software animation as the display transitions from a standard smartphone interface to an iPad Mini-style canvas is polished and unmatched.
Yet, this level of premium execution comes with a steep price tag. In my opinion, unless money is truly no object, the iPhone Duo remains a hard sell for the average buyer.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
