Updated
Updated · The Korea Herald · Sep 16
Apple Prices iPhone Duo at $1,999, Challenging Samsung's $1,899 Fold8 in US
Updated
Updated · The Korea Herald · Sep 16

Apple Prices iPhone Duo at $1,999, Challenging Samsung's $1,899 Fold8 in US

3 articles · Updated · The Korea Herald · Sep 16

Summary

  • $1,999 puts Apple’s first foldable iPhone just about $100 above Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 in the US, far below prelaunch estimates near $2,500 and setting up a direct premium-market fight.
  • Samsung enters with eight generations of foldable refinement: the 201-gram Fold8 is about 53 grams lighter than Apple’s roughly 254-gram Duo, and its hinge, multitasking and durability are already proven ahead of Duo’s Oct. 23 release.
  • Apple still holds the stronger position with affluent buyers, controlling 65% of the global premium smartphone segment versus Samsung’s 19%, while more than 32% of consumers in one survey said they would definitely buy a foldable if Apple made one.
  • Korea looks different: Duo starts at 3.29 million won, more than 1 million won above Fold8’s 2.28 million won, reinforcing Samsung’s home-market edge even as analysts say the US—about 10% of global foldable shipments—matters more than Korea’s sub-2% share.

Insights

Will Apple's aggressive $1,999 pricing finally shatter Samsung's seven-year monopoly in the foldable smartphone arena?
Are loyal Apple users truly ready to abandon the reliable Pro Max for a heavier $2,000 foldable experiment?