iPhone Duo price in Pakistan and UAE: Apple's first foldable goes on sale today

Apple’s first folding phone, the iPhone Duo, goes on sale today, 23 October, and it is already one of the most searched phones in the Gulf. Khaleej Times reports that some UAE retailers sold out within hours of the launch.

If you are in Pakistan, there is a catch: Apple has not listed Pakistan in either of its launch waves. Any Duo you see in Hafeez Centre or Saddar for now will be an import.

iPhone Duo price

United States (Apple): starts at $1,999 for 256GB. It also comes in 512GB, 1TB and 2TB.

UAE (Khaleej Times):

• 256GB: Dh8,499
• 512GB: Dh9,349
• 1TB: Dh11,049
• 2TB: Dh13,599

India: starts at ₹2,99,900, according to Deccan Chronicle.

Pakistan (estimates only): Daily Pakistan, citing an unnamed estimate, expects prices to settle around Rs787,100 for 256GB, Rs870,100 for 512GB, Rs1,037,100 for 1TB and Rs1,287,100 for 2TB. The same report says Hafeez Centre traders were talking about early prices above Rs1.2 million, and it puts PTA registration on a phone like this at roughly Rs200,000 to Rs230,000. None of these are official numbers.

What you get for the money

From Apple’s own announcement:

• Two screens: a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display that opens like a small book
• Chip: A20 Pro
• Cameras: 48MP main camera, plus a FaceTime camera hidden under the inner screen
• Battery: up to 31 hours of video on the inner screen and 44 hours on the outer one, using two batteries
• Touch ID in the side button, which means no Face ID on this model
• Colours: Star White and Night Sky
• Works with the USB-C Apple Pencil

Engadget’s hands-on puts it at 254 grams and 11.3mm thick when closed, which is heavier and thicker than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8. Reviewers say the crease in the middle is still there, but hard to spot.

Should you buy one from Dubai?

Many Pakistanis will ask a relative in the UAE to bring one home. Before you do:

1. Add the PTA tax to the price. At this value, registration alone could be about the cost of a mid-range phone. Check the exact amount on PTA’s DIRBS website using the phone’s IMEI before paying.
2. Check the storage and colour you want are in stock. Khaleej Times quotes Eros Group’s Mohammad Yousuf Badri saying some versions may be temporarily unavailable, and Deira traders told the paper some buyers were paying up to Dh2,500 extra to get one immediately.
3. Remember there is no official Apple service in Pakistan. A cracked folding screen is an expensive repair, so ask the shop what warranty cover you will actually have in Pakistan.

Apple says 28 more countries get the Duo from 30 October, but it has not named them, so it is still not clear whether Pakistan is among them.