The iPhone XS won’t be cheap when it launches in South Africa

Last year was a strange year for Apple’s annual announcement of the tech that it would be selling for the year ahead. Straight out of the gate, the company was looking to futureproof its efforts for more than a single year, unveiling not only the iPhone 8 but also the iPhone X. Bursting at the seams with bleeding edge tech, the iPhone X was a benchmark for what smartphones could be, creating a lasting legacy that other manufacturers imitated with their own devices in the months and notches to come.

This year, the focus on the X brand was further amplified with Apple announcing two new flavours in that series: The iPhone XS and the iPhone XR. While the XS is the heavyweight contender that offers a 5.8 inch screen and other incremental updates to the frame of the X, the XR is a more midrange solution for the Apple fan who is strapped for cash.

That being said, the iPhone XS is still going to cost you plenty of Randelas. Technomobi has local pricing up for the smartphone (because those prices certainly do smart), and you might have to get used to the taste of cardboard if you’re looking to buy one outside of a contract. Tip of the hat to MyBroadband for the list of prices:

• iPhone Xs 64GB – R22,699
• iPhone Xs 256GB – R25,699
• iPhone Xs 512GB – R29,999
• iPhone Xs Max 64GB – R24,999
• iPhone Xs Max 256GB – R27,999
• iPhone Xs Max 512GB – R31,999

Ouch. Thanks a lot, terrible Rand to Dollar exchange rate. Just for the sake of comparison, here’s how much the other big flagships will cost you locally, at their highest base form on average:

• Huawei P20 Pro – R16, 999
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ – R15, 999
• Sony Xperia XZ2 – R13, 499
• LG G7 ThinQ – R12, 999

It’s a hell of a price tag, although Apple fans have shown in the past that they’re more than willing to shell out extra for that particular brand. That’s some crazy loyalty right there. As for the iPhone XR? No clue yet on just how much the more moderate specs of that phone will cost when it arrives here, but we’ll update the post as soon as we have some more pricing details.

Last Updated: September 20, 2018