Local Apple reseller iStore has officially revealed South African pricing for Apple’s inaugural foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, alongside the latest lineup of connected smart home hardware.
Read: ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo Review: Two-screen titan
The iPhone Duo instantly becomes the highest-priced model in iStore’s smartphone catalogue. Local pricing across all four storage tiers stands at:
- 256GB: R47,999
- 512GB: R52,999
- 1TB: R62,499
- 2TB: R76,999
At the top end, the 2TB iPhone Duo costs R17,000 more than an equivalent 2TB iPhone 18 Pro Max, which retails for R59,999. Pre-orders are currently active, with iStore citing delivery lead times of one to two weeks. The official figures come in slightly lower than earlier market estimates, which projected base pricing to exceed R50,000.
When evaluated against US retail rates, the iPhone Duo carries a significantly higher local markup than Apple’s home hardware ecosystem.
In the US, the Duo spans from $1,999 to $3,199 before state sales taxes. Factoring in direct currency conversions at R16.46 to the US dollar and applying South Africa’s 15% VAT, a direct import calculation yields approximately R37,800 for the base tier. The local shelf price of R47,999 represents a markup premium of roughly 27%, a margin consistent across all storage options to absorb exchange rate volatility and import logistics.
iStore has also opened pre-orders for Apple’s new smart home additions, scheduled to ship locally from 13 November:
- HomeView Smart Display (7-inch hub): R6,299 ($299 US, ~11% local premium)
- Apple TV 4K (4th Generation): R6,299 ($299 US, ~11% local premium)
- HomePod mini 2: R3,499 ($149 US, ~24% local premium)
The previous 2022-generation Apple TV 4K remains available at entry-level pricing starting from R4,199.
