Apple’s new iPhone Duo costs up to ₱255K. Better start saving or find a benefactor fast

The tech giant’s first folding iPhone starts at ₱160K, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max reaches nearly ₱195K.

Apple will assign an absurd price tag to tech that other companies unveiled a decade ago, and people will still line up for hours just to get first dibs on the product.

That’s the iPhone Duo in a nutshell—a folding phone that can set you back as much as ₱254,990 once it launches next month.

The tech giant announced the iPhone Duo, its very first folding phone, at the “Surprise and Shine” event at its California headquarters on September 9.

The folding screen will be nearly twice the size of previous iPhone models, spanning 7.6 inches. The Duo boasts a nano-texture finish on its inner display to reduce glare, and wide-angle LEDs to enhance viewing angles.

The iPhone Duo will be available in Night Sky and Star White.

But the folding technology and display specs aren’t nearly the most noteworthy detail about the Duo. The real head-turner is the price.

The lowest offering begins at ₱159,990 for 256GB, followed by ₱175,990 for 512GB. The 1TB model is ₱207,990, while 2TB is a whopping ₱254,990.

At ₱159,990, you’re already looking at nearly ₱160,000 for the privilege of folding your iPhone in half. Go for the top-of-the-line 2TB version and Apple is asking for almost ₱255,000.

For someone earning ₱25,000 a month, that’s more than 10 months of gross salary. At ₱50,000 a month, it’s still roughly five months’ worth of income—before rent, food, bills, transportation, and all those other pesky things people generally need their money for.

Global pre-orders begin October 16, while units will be made available starting October 23.

So, if you’ve been selling a kidney every few years to fund your iPhone habit, congratulations—you may now need to locate another one. Alternatively, there’s always the time-tested Filipino strategy of finding a generous DOM or gay benefactor, filing overtime for the next several years, or simply convincing yourself that you “deserve it” until the credit card bill arrives.

Apple’s hardware chief John Ternus also announced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at the launch, for those still wanting to clout-chase without quite reaching the quarter-million-peso territory.

The company touts the new series as more capable of handling heavier video and artificial intelligence workloads. The iPhone 18 models offer up to 6 more hours of video playback, faster wired charging, and a more powerful A20 chip that can accommodate greater automation.

The iPhone 18 Pro comes with a 6.3-inch display, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max spans 6.9 inches. The series comes in four colors: Burgundy, Glacier, Silver, and Black.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at ₱94,990 for 256GB, ₱110,990 for 512GB, ₱142,990 for 1TB, and ₱189,990 for 2TB.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is priced at ₱99,990 for 256GB, ₱115,990 for 512GB, ₱147,990 for 1TB, and ₱194,990 for 2TB.

In other words, even if you skip the folding phone and settle for the “regular” Pro models, you’re still looking at nearly ₱95,000 to almost ₱195,000.

Mind you, those don’t even include accessories, telco plans, and maintenance.

And yes, Apple will probably still sell a lot of them. Because apparently, there is a price at which an iPhone becomes cheaper than therapy—and ₱254,990 apparently isn’t it.

Pre-orders begin September 12, while units will be rolled out globally on September 18.

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