US, UAE, Saudi, UK or India? Where iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro are cheapest to buy

US prices come out lowest across every model, with the UAE taking second place

Last updated: September 10, 2026 | 14:55

4 MIN READ

Attendees take photos of the new iPhone Duo during an Apple event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on September 9, 2026.

AFP

Dubai: Apple’s new iPhone Duo may start at Dh8,499 in the UAE, but a comparison of official prices across five major markets shows buyers in the US get the lowest listed price for the company’s first foldable iPhone and its new iPhone 18 Pro models.

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Using exchange rates of Dh3.67 to the US dollar, SAR3.75 to the dollar, Rs95.48 to the dollar and GBP0.74 to the dollar, the US comes out cheapest across every storage option for the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

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The UAE takes second place across all three models and every storage tier in the comparison, ahead of Saudi Arabia, the UK and India.

iPhone Duo is over Dh1,100 cheaper in the US

Apple’s first foldable phone starts at $1,999 for 256GB in the US, equivalent to about Dh7,336 at the exchange rate used in this comparison.

The same 256GB iPhone Duo costs Dh8,499 in the UAE, leaving a difference of about Dh1,163 between the two listed prices.

Saudi buyers pay SAR9,499, equivalent to roughly Dh9,296, while the £1,999 UK price converts to around Dh9,914. India is the most expensive of the five markets at Rs299,900, equivalent to approximately Dh11,527.

The gap increases with storage.

The iPhone Duo is displayed during an announcement of new products on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, on the Apple campus in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

A 512GB iPhone Duo works out to about Dh8,070 in the US compared with Dh9,349 in the UAE, a difference of around Dh1,279.

The 1TB version costs the equivalent of roughly Dh9,538 in the US against Dh11,049 in the UAE, while the 2TB model comes to around Dh11,740 in the US compared with Dh13,599 locally.

That leaves the UAE price of the top-spec model around Dh1,859 above its US listed price after currency conversion.

iPhone 18 Pro follows the same pattern

The price ranking remains the same for Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro.

The entry-level 256GB model starts at $1,199 in the US, which converts to around Dh4,400.

UAE customers pay Dh5,099 for the same storage capacity, around Dh699 more on a straight currency conversion.

Saudi Arabia’s SAR5,699 price works out to approximately Dh5,577, while £1,199 in the UK converts to about Dh5,946. India’s Rs164,900 starting price is equivalent to roughly Dh6,338.

Moving up to 512GB puts the US price at around Dh5,134 compared with Dh5,949 in the UAE.

The difference rises to around Dh1,047 for the 1TB version, which costs the equivalent of Dh6,602 in the US and Dh7,649 in the UAE.

At 2TB, the US listed price of $2,399 converts to approximately Dh8,804, compared with Dh10,199 in the UAE, a gap of around Dh1,395.

Apple CEO John Ternus, alongside vide president of industrial design Molly Anderson, shows off the new iPhone Duo during an Apple event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on September 9, 2026.

Pro Max also cheapest in the US

Buyers looking at the iPhone 18 Pro Max see a similar price spread.

The 256GB version starts at $1,299 in the US, equivalent to around Dh4,767, while the UAE price is Dh5,499.

Saudi Arabia follows at approximately Dh5,969 after converting its SAR6,099 price, while the UK price works out to roughly Dh6,442 and India comes to about Dh6,915.

The US advantage grows on the higher-capacity models.

A 512GB Pro Max converts to roughly Dh5,501 in the US compared with Dh6,349 in the UAE, while the 1TB version comes to around Dh6,969 against Dh8,049.

The 2TB iPhone 18 Pro Max costs $2,499 in the US, equivalent to approximately Dh9,171. The same model is listed at Dh10,599 in the UAE, leaving a difference of about Dh1,428.

UAE remains second-cheapest in the comparison

Across all 12 model and storage combinations compared, the ranking remains unchanged.

The US has the lowest listed price, followed by the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The UK and India occupy the two highest positions, with India the most expensive market across every iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max configuration included in the comparison.

The difference is particularly wide on the iPhone Duo.

Attendees interact with new Apple products at Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event at the company's corporate headquarters, Apple Park, on September 9, 2026 in Cupertino, California.

The 256GB model costs the equivalent of around Dh7,336 in the US and Dh8,499 in the UAE, compared with about Dh11,527 in India. On the 2TB version, the equivalent prices rise to Dh11,740 in the US, Dh13,599 in the UAE and roughly Dh17,293 in India.

The comparison is based solely on Apple’s listed prices supplied for each market and the stated exchange rates, without factoring in any other costs or purchase incentives.