Apple's first foldable iPhone has finally gone on sale, and it lands in a market already crowded with sharp discounts from Samsung, Motorola and Apple's own product lineup. The iPhone Duo arrives with steep pricing and limited availability, giving rival foldables an opening to make their case.
Apple's iPhone Duo starts at $2,000
The iPhone Duo began shipping on Friday, though Apple cautioned that in-store stock will be sparse and online orders are likely to face long waits. Apple is working to increase supply, but it may take time for availability to improve.
Apple's debut foldable is priced well above its conventional flagships. The base 256GB model starts at $2,000, while the 2TB version reaches $3,200. By comparison, the standard iPhone 18 Pro Max costs $700 less at the entry level, and the more compact iPhone 18 Pro is another $100 cheaper.
Apple iPhone Duo
- 256GB - $2,000 at Apple
- 512GB - $2,200 at Apple
- 1TB - $2,600 at Apple
- 2TB - $3,200 at Apple
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
- 256GB - $1,300 at Apple
- 512GB - $1,500 at Apple
- 1TB - $1,900 at Apple
- 2TB - $2,500 at Apple
Apple iPhone 18 Pro
- 256GB - $1,200 at Apple
- 512GB - $1,400 at Apple
- 1TB - $1,800 at Apple
- 2TB - $2,400 at Apple
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 undercuts the Duo
In the US, the Galaxy Z Fold8 remains the closest rival to Apple's wide foldable. A $200 discount and a lower base price leave it roughly $300 cheaper than the iPhone Duo. It is also thinner at 9.7mm versus 11.3mm and considerably lighter at 201g versus 254g, while offering a similar cover display at 5.5 inches and a 7.6-inch inner panel with a comparable aspect ratio.
Battery size is nearly the same too, with 4,800mAh in the Galaxy and 4,883mAh in the Duo. Runtime will likely hinge on efficiency, as Samsung uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Apple relies on the A20 Pro. Neither device includes a dedicated telephoto camera, with the Fold8 offering dual 50MP shooters and the Duo using dual 48MP modules.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8
Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra offers bigger screens and a 200MP camera
Samsung's larger book-style option is the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra. It features a 6.5-inch 21:9 cover display and an 8.0-inch inner screen, yet still measures just 8.9mm thick and weighs 215g, making it 39g lighter than Apple's Duo. The Ultra also brings a 200MP 1/1.3-inch main camera and a 10MP 3x 69mm telephoto lens.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra
Last year's Galaxy Z Fold7 stays attractive
The Galaxy Z Fold7 is currently listed at $1,350 on Amazon, while Walmart has it for $1,300. Although the naming scheme is confusing, the true follow-up to the Z Fold7 is the Z Fold8 Ultra rather than the regular Z Fold8. The Ultra earns its name with meaningful upgrades in inner display quality, battery performance, charging and overall speed.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7
- 12/256GB - $1,350 at Amazon US
- 12/256GB - $1,300 at Walmart
Motorola Razr Fold targets flagship foldable shoppers
With Google still unable to offer strong discounts on its own foldable, Motorola's Razr Fold becomes a notable alternative. It is neither the thinnest nor the lightest at 10.1mm and 243g, but it counters with a large 6,000mAh battery, 80W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. It runs on the non-Elite Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and promises seven OS updates, matching Samsung's support pledge. Its camera array includes a 50MP main camera with a 1/1.28-inch sensor, a 50MP 3x 71mm telephoto and a 50MP ultra-wide camera.
Motorola Razr Fold
- 16/512GB - $1,700 at Motorola
Smaller foldables still in play
For buyers who prefer a flip design, the Galaxy Z Flip8 is still available for $1,050, although it has previously dipped below $1,000, which remains the more attractive target price.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8
Meanwhile, last year's Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 has dropped back down to $700. It is not without flaws, especially with the older Snapdragon 8 Elite inside, but it undercuts the Z Flip8 while providing more RAM, more storage, a larger battery and faster charging.
Motorola Razr Ultra 2025
Samsung tablet deals take aim at productivity buyers
Samsung is offering $100 off the new Galaxy Tab S12+ and Tab S12 Ultra on its US store with code PYPL100. The tablets use 12.6-inch and 14.6-inch 120Hz OLED displays, respectively, and pack 10,600mAh and 11,600mAh batteries. Both run on last year's Dimensity 9500 and support full DeX.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra
- 12GB/256GB - $1,300 at Samsung US
- 12GB/512GB - $1,500 at Samsung US
- 16GB/1TB - $1,900 at Samsung US
Samsung Galaxy Tab S12+
- 12/256GB - $1,100 at Samsung US
- 12/512GB - $1,300 at Samsung US
Apple's MacBook Air and Mac mini remain strong value options
A question raised in recent reader comments asked why one should buy a Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra when a MacBook costs about the same. In fact, the new MacBook Air 13-inch is cheaper than the Ultra tablet unless a trade-in is involved. It uses the Apple M5 chip, which was announced in March before the M6 arrived. The base 16GB/512GB configuration originally launched at $1,100, but a recent price increase added $200 to the official cost.
Apple MacBook Air 2026 13-inch
For a desktop setup, the latest Mac mini with the M6 chip removes the expense of a built-in screen, battery and keyboard while adding more ports. It includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports instead of two, full-size HDMI and 2.5Gb Ethernet.
Apple Mac mini 2026
Apple TV 4K gets a pricier refresh
Apple has also updated its Apple TV 4K streamer. The fourth-generation model costs twice as much as the third-generation device did at launch, although the older version was also affected by price increases. It features the A19 chipset, which Apple says has a GPU twice as fast as the A15 in the previous model, plus 128GB storage and gigabit Ethernet as standard.
Apple TV 4K (4th gen)
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