iPhone Duo: The Cheapest Ever?
Updated: 4 days ago
Following the launch of the new iPhone Duo, a key question is being asked around the world: is it worth the upgrade? Apple has a habit of surprising us with cutting-edge tech advances, usually accompanied by a significant increase in its price in dollars.
However, what happens if we measure the price of the iPhone in gold over time? The answer is as thought-provoking as it is revealing…
The Evolution of the iPhone’s Price
When Apple launched the first iPhone in 2007, the most expensive model was priced at US $599 (plus tax), while one ounce of gold was trading at around US $651. In other words, that first device cost almost one (92%) ounce of gold.
In 2026, the newest and most revolutionary model, the iPhone Duo, has just been launched at a starting price of US $1,999 (plus tax), while one ounce of gold is trading in September 2026 at approximately US $4,400. In other words, Apple’s most advanced phone can now be purchased for less than half of an ounce of gold.
Put another way, the ultimate expression of Apple innovation costs far less gold today than its predecessor did two decades ago, even with cutting-edge folding dual screens, massive storage, and twenty years of technological leaps. While a single ounce of gold barely covered one original iPhone in 2007, that same ounce today can easily buy two brand-new iPhone Duos.
The table below details the price evolution of the top-tier iPhone model for each generation—expressed in both U.S. dollars and gold—over the past 20 years:
Source: Apple / Aktagold
As shown in the table above, even Apple’s most exorbitantly priced flagship to date, the 2 TB iPhone Duo at US $3,199 (plus tax), tells a surprising story when priced in gold: While its price tag has quintupled in dollars (+434%) compared to the original, most advanced 8 GB iPhone, its price measured in gold has actually decreased by 21%.
iPhone: More Expensive in Dollars, Cheaper in Gold
The table above highlights a striking reality: for those thinking and saving in dollars, the price of the iPhone has more than tripled (+234%) over the last 20 years. By contrast, for those saving in gold, despite its extraordinary technological advances, the price of the iPhone has been cut in half (-51%).
Source: Aktagold
Source: Aktagold
Is the iPhone Duo an Investment?
There is no doubt that the iPhone Duo is one of the most advanced mobile phones on the market. However, from a financial perspective, it shares one characteristic with most technology products: its rapid rate of depreciation and obsolescence.
Every new iPhone launch reduces the value of previous models, and over time, older devices stop receiving updates, lose their appeal in the second-hand market and, in most cases, end up sitting in a drawer after just a few years. Many people remember how many iPhones they have bought. Few still own one with any significant value.
While we all know that a new phone begins losing value from its first day of use, buying the new iPhone Duo is not necessarily a bad decision. If the device allows you to be more productive, create better content, or generate more income, it may represent an investment. But if, on the other hand, the decision is driven solely by the desire to own the newest version of one of the most aspirational technology products on the market, the story is different. In that case, it could simply be considered an expense.
The Three Key Lessons from the iPhone
Analyzing the evolution of the iPhone’s price offers us three key lessons about money, technology, and the real value of things:
💸 Money Loses Value; Gold Preserves it Money creation and inflation continuously erode fiat purchasing power, while real assets such as gold can protect wealth and even increase an owner’s purchasing power over time.
⚡ Tech Advances and Becomes Cheaper in Real Terms Technological deflation and greater production efficiency make innovation increasingly accessible in terms of real value.
🔻 Gadgets Depreciate; Assets Appreciate Purchasing consumer technology means buying an item that rapidly depreciates as it becomes obsolete. Preserving capital in a reserve asset lets you buy future technology at a lower real price while retaining a surplus to keep building wealth.
Upgrade Your Phone or Start Building Wealth?
With the launch of the iPhone Duo, millions of people around the world are wondering whether it is time to upgrade their phone. The real question to ask is: do I really need to buy a new device… or could that money be the first step towards building wealth?
A phone starts losing value from day one, while your first gram of gold could be the beginning of a brighter financial future.
Protect your Savings
Aktagold helps individuals worldwide protect their wealth from economic instability by providing access to savings in physical gold, stored in high-security vaults at the Royal Canadian Mint® in Ottawa (Canada), offering a level of protection once reserved for the wealthiest investors.
