Apple Raises iPhone 18 Pro Prices, Unveils First Foldable iPhone Duo

Apple has increased the starting prices of its premium smartphones, unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on Wednesday, September 9. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 (about N1.59 million), while the Pro Max starts at $1,299 (about N1.73 million), both with 256GB of base storage.

The new prices are $100 higher than the equivalent iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. Naira equivalents in this report are based on an exchange rate of N1,330 to the dollar, and all prices are before taxes and shipping.

Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo

Apple also launched its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, which starts at $1,999 (N2,658,670) for the 256GB version. Prices climb with storage:

256GB: $1,999 / N2,658,670
512GB: $2,199 / N2,924,670
1TB: $2,599 / N3,456,670
2TB: $3,199 / N4,254,670

The iPhone Duo has a book-style, passport-like design that opens to reveal a larger internal display. It carries a 5.4-inch front display and a 7.6-inch screen when unfolded, with the larger panel built for video, gaming, work and multitasking.

More storage, new chip, better battery

For the first time, Apple has introduced a 2TB storage option for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, pushing past the previous 1TB maximum.

The price increase follows months of speculation that Apple could raise the cost of its latest smartphones because of higher component costs linked to a global memory shortage.

The iPhone 18 Pro models run on Apple's A20 Pro processors, with upgraded CPU, GPU and neural engine capabilities designed for gaming and artificial intelligence applications. Battery performance has also improved, with the iPhone 18 Pro offering up to 24 hours of charge and the Pro Max up to 30 hours.

The phones feature a variable mechanical aperture that gives photographers greater control over light and depth. Apple also highlighted improvements to Apple Intelligence and an upgraded Siri AI that can answer questions based on texts and emails, use the camera to understand surroundings and help with tasks such as drafting emails.

What it means for Nigerian buyers

At N1,330 to the dollar, the entry iPhone 18 Pro now sits at roughly N1.59 million before taxes and shipping, while the top 2TB iPhone Duo works out to about N4.25 million. The $100 jump on the Pro line will feed straight into landing costs for Nigerian importers and resellers, since naira pricing typically tracks the dollar rate plus duty, freight and dealer margins. Buyers should expect shelf prices well above the converted figures.