“The Phone Is Expensive Enough—And the Case, Too” ... You’ll Have to Empty Your Wallet to Buy an iPhone Duo [Daily IT Pick]

[Financial News] Apple’s first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, has drawn attention with its high starting price of ₩3.29 million. Its dedicated cases are also far from cheap. A case with a foldable stand costs nearly ₩200,000. That is more expensive than existing iPhone cases and official cases for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.
According to Apple on the 12th, the domestic price of the iPhone Duo kickstand case is ₩199,000. Made from TechWoven material, the case has a kickstand attached to the back, allowing users to adjust the viewing angle. Even the standard iPhone Duo case, which does not have a kickstand, costs ₩119,000—still a considerable price.
The price gap is particularly noticeable compared with official cases for existing iPhone models. Apple’s official clear and silicone cases for the iPhone 17 each cost ₩75,000. The silicone case for the iPhone 18 Pro, released this year, costs ₩79,000, while the TechWoven case is priced at ₩89,000. Even the standard iPhone Duo case costs ₩40,000 more than the iPhone 18 Pro silicone case.
The price is also high compared with Samsung Electronics’ foldable phone cases. The official clear case for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 costs ₩44,000, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Clear Magnet Case costs ₩55,000 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Silicone Magnet Case costs ₩88,000. The Carbon Standing Case, which offers a stand function like the iPhone Duo, is priced at ₩110,000—₩89,000 less than the iPhone Duo kickstand folio.
With the iPhone Duo itself already carrying a high price and its cases also priced at a premium, the burden on consumers is expected to grow. The iPhone Duo’s domestic list prices are ₩3.29 million for 256GB, ₩3.59 million for 512GB, ₩4.19 million for 1TB, and ₩5.09 million for 2TB. Buying the least expensive 256GB model together with the kickstand folio requires ₩3.489 million. Purchasing the top-end 2TB model with the folio brings the total to as much as ₩5.289 million.
South Korean consumers must pay a relatively higher price than U.S. consumers. The U.S. list price of the iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for the 256GB model. Applying the recent won-dollar exchange rate in the ₩1,340 range, that comes to approximately ₩2.68 million, making the domestic list price about ₩600,000 higher than the simple converted price.
[email protected] Hong-jip Yoon Reporter