Apple’s first folding phone, the iPhone Duo, went on sale on Friday. In South Africa, it is sold through iStore and other retailers, with prices starting at R47 999.
The 256GB model costs R47 999, the 512GB model R52 999 and the 1TB model R62 499. The top 2TB model sells for R76 999, TechCentral reported.
“Apple’s entry could bring the format to a much broader audience,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice-president at market researcher IDC.
According to TechCentral, local buyers pay about 27% more than US buyers. This figure converts US prices at R16.46 to the dollar and adds VAT.
That gap is much wider than the roughly 11% premium on Apple’s new home devices. The 2TB Duo costs R17 000 more than the most expensive iPhone 18 Pro Max, which sells for R59 999.
Demand was strong when pre-orders opened a week earlier. Within minutes, Apple’s estimated delivery dates slipped to late January because demand was higher than supply.
Apple described the response from customers as “nothing short of extraordinary”.
The company said walk-in stock would vary by country. Stock is limited in the US, Australia, Canada, Mexico and much of Britain and Europe.
In China, France, Hong Kong, India and Japan, the phone is only available to customers who ordered online, Apple said.
Early reviews praised the phone’s design and its strong hinge, which is hard to see. Creased screens have long been a problem for folding phones and have put some buyers off.
Reviewers also pointed to weak spots. The Duo has no telephoto camera lens, and many apps from other developers still need to be adapted to its screen size.
Reviewers said the phone is less handy for quick daily tasks when it is folded. Several well-known reviewers advised many Apple customers not to buy it.
Longtime Apple writer John Gruber, who runs the blog Daring Fireball, said the Duo felt like “an extraordinarily polished prototype” rather than a finished product he would want to buy and carry.
Tech reviewer Marques Brownlee, known as MKBHD, said in a YouTube review that for a regular person who mostly texts and browses, “it is probably a no”. He said it is “a really fun phone” for people who can afford it and like the idea.
The launch is an early test for new Apple CEO John Ternus. The former hardware chief took over from Tim Cook on 1 September and unveiled the phone about a week later.
Rivals such as Samsung Electronics and Huawei Technologies have sold premium folding phones for several years. Jeronimo said take-up of foldables has stayed limited compared with normal smartphones.
IDC expects Apple to take 44% of the foldable market by value in 2026, on 31% of units sold. By 2027, IDC forecasts that Apple will lead the category in both value and units shipped.
Source: this article is based on reporting by TechCentral. Image: TechCentral. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Technology desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Werner Jacobs covers technology for Tzaneen Voice. Werner reports on mobile networks, data prices, internet access, smartphones, apps, AI, cybersecurity and South African tech companies. Each story explains what a new product, price change or policy means for ordinary users in South Africa.