A comparison of next-generation iPhone prices across five major markets shows that the UAE is the second-cheapest place to buy the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max after the US. However, the comparison is based on Apple’s listed prices and does not include costs such as US sales tax.

Gulf News compared the official prices of Apple’s new products in the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK and India. The US had the lowest listed price across all models and storage capacities reviewed, followed by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the UK and India.

The largest price difference was recorded for the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable phone. The 256GB version costs $1,999 in the US, equivalent to about Dh7,336 at the exchange rate used in the comparison. The same model costs Dh8,499 in the UAE, around Dh1,163 more.

After currency conversion, the 256GB iPhone Duo costs about Dh9,296 in Saudi Arabia and Dh9,914 in the UK. India is the most expensive of the five markets surveyed, at the equivalent of about Dh11,527.

The price gap between the US and the UAE widens as storage capacity increases. The 512GB iPhone Duo costs the equivalent of about Dh8,070 in the US and Dh9,349 in the UAE. For the 1TB version, the figures rise to about Dh9,538 and Dh11,049, respectively. The 2TB model is priced at the equivalent of about Dh11,740 in the US and Dh13,599 in the UAE, a difference of around Dh1,859.

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A similar pricing pattern applies to the iPhone 18 Pro. The entry-level 256GB model costs $1,199 in the US, equivalent to about Dh4,400, while its official price in the UAE is Dh5,099. The equivalent price is about Dh5,577 in Saudi Arabia, Dh5,946 in the UK and Dh6,338 in India.

The price gap continues for higher-storage models. The 1TB iPhone 18 Pro costs the equivalent of about Dh6,602 in the US, compared with Dh7,649 in the UAE. The 2TB version costs about Dh8,804 in the US and Dh10,199 in the UAE.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max follows the same pattern. The 256GB model costs $1,299 in the US, equivalent to about Dh4,767, while Apple is offering it for Dh5,499 in the UAE. The 2TB Pro Max is priced at the equivalent of about Dh9,171 in the US and Dh10,599 in the UAE.

The comparison is based on exchange rates of Dh3.67 to the US dollar, 3.75 Saudi riyals to the dollar, 95.48 Indian rupees to the dollar and £0.74 to the dollar. Discounts, trade-in offers and other purchasing costs are not included.

Importantly, Apple’s listed US prices typically exclude state and local sales taxes, which are added to the final amount depending on the place of purchase or delivery. As a result, the actual cost difference between buying in the US and the UAE may be smaller than suggested by simply converting the listed prices into dirhams.

Apple unveiled the phones on Wednesday, September 9, at an event at its California headquarters. Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in the UAE will open at 4pm on Saturday, September 12, with both models going on sale on Friday, September 18. The iPhone Duo will be released later. Pre-orders will begin at 4pm on Friday, October 16, ahead of sales starting on Friday, October 23.