Foldable
iPhone Duo
Apple’s foldable iPhone, and the largest display the company has put in a phone. It is the most expensive model in the lineup by a wide margin.
$1,999 Starting price at Apple
Phones and the plans that fit them
A phone is bought once; the plan is paid for every month. These pages separate the two: the manufacturer’s price for each current model, and the prepaid plans that cover it without charging for data you will not use.
Prices are the manufacturer’s published starting prices in US dollars, excluding taxes and trade-in credit. Each one records the date it was checked. A carrier promotion can beat these figures, but only with a contract, a trade-in or a bill credit spread over two years — read the terms before comparing.
Apple
Standard
iPhone 18 Pro
The current Pro model: Apple positions it on camera and sustained performance rather than on size, with better battery life than the previous generation.
$1,199 Starting price at Apple
Standard
iPhone Air
A thin, light iPhone with Pro-level internals. The compromise is usually battery capacity, which is why it sits below the Pro on price.
$1,099 Starting price at Apple
Standard
iPhone 17
The standard model, still sold new alongside the 18 Pro. It is the point where the price stops rising faster than the capability.
$899 Starting price at Apple
Standard
iPhone 17e
The entry point in the current lineup. Apple keeps the current-generation chip and trims the display and camera hardware to reach the price.
$699 Starting price at Apple
Standard
iPhone 16
The previous generation, still in the lineup at a price above the 17e and below the 17. It is the model to check twice before buying: the newer 17 usually costs more but lasts longer.
$799 Starting price at Apple, still sold new
Samsung
Foldable
Galaxy Z Fold8 (256 GB)
Samsung’s book-style foldable. The outer screen is usable as a normal phone, and unfolding it gives a tablet-sized display for two apps side by side.
$1,899.99 Unlocked, 256 GB
Foldable
Galaxy Z Fold8 (512 GB)
The same phone with double the storage. On a foldable used for photos and video, the larger tier is the one that stays comfortable past year three.
$2,099.99 Unlocked, 512 GB
Foldable
Galaxy Z Fold8 (1024 GB)
The top storage tier. The premium per gigabyte is worse than the 512 GB model, so it only makes sense when the phone replaces a laptop for media work.
$2,499.99 Unlocked, 1 TB
How to read these prices
The manufacturer’s price is the cash price for an unlocked phone. It is the number to compare against any carrier offer, because it is the only one that does not depend on a trade-in, a new line or a two-year commitment.
A carrier can advertise a lower figure in three ways: a trade-in credit for a phone you already own, a bill credit spread over 24 or 36 months, or a promotional price that expires. All three reduce the monthly figure rather than the price of the phone, and two of the three require you to stay.
The plans linked from each phone page are all prepaid and contract-free. That combination — full price for the device, no commitment for the service — is usually the cheapest way to own a current model, unless you have a phone worth trading in.
There are 7 models in the current comparison, from $699 to $1,999.