The unlocked iPhone Duo costs more than a Galaxy Z Fold 8 or a Pixel 11 Pro Fold wherever those phones publish a US price. The unlocked price on Apple's buy page starts at $1,999. Pre-orders open Oct. 16 at 5 a.m. PT, and the phone goes on sale Oct. 23.
The stickers below come from each maker's own store. Apple lists four unlocked capacities, through 2TB. Samsung lists three for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and has no 2TB model. Google publishes one Pixel 11 Pro Fold price, $1,899 for 256GB, even though the spec page also offers 512GB and 1TB. Google doesn't print a price for those two. The table marks them Not listed.
What you pay before a trade-in
| Storage | iPhone Duo | Galaxy Z Fold 8 list | Fold 8 at checkout | Pixel 11 Pro Fold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 256GB | $1,999 | $1,899.99 | $1,649.99 | $1,899 |
| 512GB | $2,199 | $2,099.99 | $1,849.99 | Not listed |
| 1TB | $2,599 | $2,499.99 | $2,249.99 | Not listed |
| 2TB | $3,199 | No 2TB option | No 2TB option | No 2TB option |
The Duo costs about $100 more than a Fold 8 at every shared size, and about $350 more than what Samsung actually charges at checkout. That premium doesn't grow as the drive gets bigger. You pay roughly the same extra at 256GB, at 512GB, and at 1TB.
Google's $1,899 starting price is the lowest sticker any of the three has published. It lands about $100 under the 256GB Duo, and it sits level with Samsung's 256GB list. You can't stretch the comparison past that row. Google has left the 512GB and 1TB Pixel prices blank, so a bigger Pixel isn't a priced alternative yet.
The 2TB Duo is the highest sticker of the three. Samsung stops at 1TB, and that model is still the most expensive Fold 8 on sale. Pixel doesn't offer 2TB. If you want that much storage in a foldable from this group, Apple is the only checkout that will take the order.
Samsung's checkout column is the price on the buy button right now, and it's lower than the list at every size. It's the unlocked price, and it's also what AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon show at the capacities those listings offer on the same page. In July, SamMobile listed those three tiers. The button has moved under that list since.
Color won't change Apple's number. Star White and Night Sky cost the same at each capacity, and the Duo column is the price you see when you connect a carrier later. Finance the phone through the AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon installment plan and it stays locked to that carrier until you've paid it off. Use the unlocked stickers when you compare. A monthly bill with a buried credit is a different purchase.
What a trade-in changes
Apple's Duo page points you at Apple Trade In and at carrier offers, and it advertises up to $1,200 in credit after a trade-in. That ceiling includes carrier credits. The phone you hand in decides the real number. Samsung and Google run trade-in programs on their own stores. Google is advertising up to $850 back on an eligible trade-in through Oct. 29. None of those credits belong in the table. A cracked screen, an older model, or a carrier that won't match the headline can erase the distance between these phones. Get the quote before you pick a capacity. A strong trade-in can matter more than the step from 256GB to 512GB.
MacRumors lists a second wave of 28 more countries on Oct. 30. That date doesn't change the US prices above. It matters if you're buying outside the first group of markets, or if you'd rather wait and see whether any of these stickers move after launch week.
If you want the Duo, stop at 512GB unless you already fill a terabyte and you need to stay on iOS. Apple is the only one of these three that will sell you 2TB. If the price matters more than the operating system, take Samsung's checkout price. It undercuts the Duo at every size both phones offer. If you want the lowest published starting price, get the 256GB Pixel and accept that Google still hasn't priced the larger tiers. Run a trade-in quote before you lock a size, and set an alarm for 5 a.m. PT on Oct. 16 if you want a shot at launch-day delivery.
Photo: Ka Kit Pang / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
