Apple’s first foldable iPhone comes with the biggest display ever fitted to one of its smartphones, a new chip built for AI and multitasking, and a design that combines an outer screen with a larger fold-out display.
It also comes with a starting price of Dh8,499 in the UAE. Unveiled on September 9, the device will be available for pre-order in the UAE from October 16, with sales beginning on October 23. But for consumers weighing up whether the features justify the cost, there is another way of looking at Dh8,499: what else could the same amount pay for? Put against gold, a second-hand car, travel, rent and groceries, the figure starts to look very different.
About 17.5 grammes of 22K gold
In the UAE, perhaps few comparisons illustrate purchasing power as clearly as gold. With 22K gold priced at Dh485.25 per gram on September 13, Dh8,499 is equivalent to roughly 17.5 grams of the precious metal. That is based on the gold rate alone. Jewellery buyers would have to factor in making charges and any other applicable costs, reducing the actual weight they could take home for the same amount. Still, the comparison is striking: the starting price of Apple’s new foldable iPhone is roughly equivalent to the value of just under 18 grammes of 22K gold.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
An actual used car
The most eye-catching comparison, however, is sitting in UAE used-car listings. There are several cars advertised for less than the iPhone Duo’s Dh8,499 starting price.
These are older, high-mileage vehicles, and buyers may also need to factor in costs such as registration, insurance, maintenance or any repairs that may be needed. Still, the comparison is hard to miss: in the UAE, it is possible to find a used car advertised for less than Apple’s new foldable iPhone.
Up to 6 return trips
The same amount can also go a long way in the air.
Direct return fares between Dubai and Jeddah were available at around Dh1,301. At that fare, Dh8,499 could pay for six return trips, worth Dh7,806, with Dh693 remaining.
Direct Dubai-Mumbai return fares checked for September 14 were available from around Dh1,638. At that price, Dh8,499 could buy five return journeys, costing Dh8,190 in total, with Dh309 left over.
For London, direct return fares were around Dh3,775. That makes the iPhone Duo equivalent to two Dubai-London return tickets, which would cost Dh7,550, leaving Dh949.
Airfares are dynamic and can change depending on the airline, travel dates, demand and how far ahead passengers book. Still, at the fares checked, the price of one iPhone Duo could cover as many as six return trips from Dubai.
More than two months’ rent
Take a Dubai resident paying Dh50,000 a year for an apartment.
That works out to about Dh4,167 a month, meaning two months’ rent would cost approximately Dh8,334.
The starting price of the iPhone Duo is therefore enough to cover a little more than two months’ rent at that level, with the cost of the phone equivalent to about 17 per cent of the tenant’s entire annual rent.
More than four months of groceries
Then there is the supermarket bill.
Assuming a household spends Dh2,000 a month on groceries, Dh8,499 would pay for more than four months of food shopping.
Four full months would cost Dh8,000, leaving Dh499.
Actual grocery spending will, of course, vary widely depending on family size, brands and shopping habits. But at that assumed monthly budget, the price of the phone represents more than a third of a year’s grocery spend.
Source: Khaleej Times