Apple's first foldable starts at $1,999 in the US and R$ 21,999 (about $4,325) in Brazil. A new inner screen costs $999 in the US and R$ 10,989 (about $2,160) in Brazil, where Apple doesn't sell AppleCare+.
Apple’s first folding iPhone goes on pre-order today, October 16, in the US, Brazil and more than 70 other markets. Orders open at 5 a.m. Pacific, which is 9 a.m. in São Paulo. Deliveries start October 23, according to Apple’s September announcement.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the US. In Brazil it starts at R$ 21,999, about $4,325. Two days before pre-orders, Apple also published what it charges to repair one.
What it costs to buy
Brazilian prices are from Apple’s Brazilian store, as Exame reported this morning. US prices are from Apple’s US store. Dollar figures for Brazil use the October 15 closing rate of R$ 5.0868 to the dollar.
| Storage | US price | Brazil price | Brazil in dollars | Brazil vs US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 256 GB | $1,999 | R$ 21,999 | $4,325 | 2.16x |
| 512 GB | $2,199 | R$ 23,499 | $4,620 | 2.10x |
| 1 TB | $2,599 | R$ 26,499 | $5,209 | 2.00x |
| 2 TB | $3,199 | R$ 30,999 | $6,094 | 1.90x |
US prices are before sales tax. Brazilian prices include taxes. The gap narrows as storage goes up, but the base model costs more than twice as much in Brazil.
Brazil is at least on the day-one list this time. Apple’s HomeView, announced October 13, isn’t on its country list at all. The ratio is familiar, too: MacMagazine reported the new Apple TV 4K at 2.4 times its US price in Brazil.
What it costs to fix
Apple added the iPhone Duo to its repair price lists on October 14. MacMagazine and Canaltech reported the Brazilian list that day, and Tecnoblog followed on October 15. Notebookcheck and iGeeksBlog reported the US list. These are Apple’s estimates for repairs outside warranty and without AppleCare+.
| Repair | US | Brazil | Brazil in dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover layer on the folding screen | $49 | R$ 409 | $80 |
| Back glass | $199 | R$ 1,719 | $338 |
| Battery | $229 | R$ 1,839 | $362 |
| Rear camera | $229 | R$ 2,099 | $413 |
| Outer screen | $379 | R$ 3,329 | $654 |
| Outer screen and back glass | $509 | R$ 4,449 | $875 |
| Inner folding screen | $999 | R$ 10,989 | $2,160 |
| Other damage | Up to $1,499 | R$ 16,499 | $3,243 |
The inner screen is the line to remember. In both countries it costs half of what the base phone costs new.
Canaltech notes that Apple’s Brazilian figures include taxes, that the final price depends on an inspection, and that authorized service providers set their own prices.
AppleCare+ changes the math, where Apple sells it
In the US, AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss costs $19.99 a month, $199.99 a year or $399 once. With it, an inner screen repair costs $99 and an outer screen $29.
Apple doesn’t sell AppleCare+ in Brazil, as MacMagazine and Tecnoblog both point out. A Brazilian buyer pays the full list price for every repair.
A plan bought in the US may not cover the gap. Tecnoblog says owners of plans bought abroad can seek service through Apple’s authorized network in Brazil. Apple’s US warranty terms say Apple may restrict iPhone warranty service to the country where the device was originally sold. Ask Apple before you count on it.
What it means if you run a remote team
If you equip people in Brazil, one iPhone Duo is a $4,300 line item before anyone drops it. A cracked inner screen adds about $2,160, with no plan to cap it. A standard iPhone runs Slack, email and calls just as well. Keep the Duo for roles where the bigger screen changes the work, and budget for at least one repair.
If you buy in the US, the $399 one-time AppleCare+ price is 40% of a single inner screen repair. On a phone with a folding screen, buy the plan.
Brazilian device prices are moving fast this month. Samsung’s cheapest phones now cost up to twice their launch price there. If phones for a Brazil-based team are on your plan for next year, price them now.