The iPhone Duo 256GB price is already on four store pages: $1,999 in the United States before sales tax, RMB 15,999 in mainland China with VAT included, ¥364,800 in Japan with 10% consumption tax included, and HK$17,499 in Hong Kong, which has no sales tax. Pre-order opens at 5:00 a.m. PT on 16 October, which is 20:00 in Beijing and 21:00 in Japan. The first wave goes on sale 23 October. Specs and dates follow Apple’s 9 September newsroom.
Ranking the four stickers by the size of the number compares the wrong thing. The US figure is pre-tax. China and Japan are tax-in. Hong Kong has no sales tax to add. The tables below use one set of rates from 15 October 2026, turn each local checkout into renminbi and dollars, then take model number, warranty, and a customs declaration back out of the gap. The order itself still follows that day’s checkout on the US, mainland China, Japan, and Hong Kong pages.
- No-tax US state: RMB 13,387 ($1,999)
- New York City, 8.875% sales tax: RMB 14,575 ($2,176.41)
- Hong Kong: RMB 14,932 (HK$17,499, no sales tax)
- Japan, resident, tax in: RMB 15,419 (¥364,800)
- Mainland China: RMB 15,999
Official prices, before any conversion
Star white and night sky are the same price. All four capacities are listed. The newsroom pins the US starting price and the 24-month payment. The other three ladders come from each store page.
| Market | 256GB | 512GB | 1TB | 2TB | Tax in the sticker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $1,999 | $2,199 | $2,599 | $3,199 | Before sales tax |
| Mainland China | RMB 15,999 | RMB 17,999 | RMB 21,499 | RMB 26,499 | 13% VAT included |
| Japan | ¥364,800 | ¥399,800 | ¥469,800 | ¥574,800 | 10% consumption tax included |
| Hong Kong | HK$17,499 | HK$19,299 | HK$22,799 | HK$27,999 | No sales tax |
United States
The newsroom lists a starting price of $1,999, or $83.29 a month for 24 months. 83.29 × 24 = 1,998.96. That splits the hardware. It is not a discount. The footnote says the 0% plan requires Apple Card Monthly Installments and a carrier choice of AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon at checkout. Tax and shipping are not at 0% APR. They follow the card’s variable APR. An iPhone bought this way stays unlocked.
The same section describes Apple Upgrade, a lease from Klarna, from $57.99 a month for 24 months and from $82.99 a month for 12 months. The footnote is plain: this is a consumer lease, not a purchase and not a loan. You return the device at the end. Ending early can mean a substantial charge. The advertised payment excludes tax and any trade-in credit. Do not multiply $57.99 by 24 and call it a cheaper way to own the phone.
Sales tax follows the ship-to address. Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon have no state sales tax, so checkout can be $1,999. New York City’s combined rate is 8.875% (4% state + 4.5% city + 0.375% MCTD), so 256GB is 1,999 × 1.08875 = $2,176.41. Many California cities sit between about 8.5% and a bit over 10%. The checkout page recalculates by ZIP code.
Mainland China
The China store lists RMB 15,999 / 17,999 / 21,499 / 26,499, with 0% financing over 24 months at about RMB 667 / 750 / 896 / 1,105 a month. 15,999 ÷ 24 = 666.63, which matches the page’s “about 667”. That is the tax-in total split into payments, not a markdown.
The banner says pre-order opens at 8 p.m. on 16 October and sale starts 23 October, and the same line says models go on sale after they are approved. The price is up. The wireless model still waits on approval. If approval lands after the 23rd, that page’s update is the date. Do not paste the US schedule over the China schedule.
eSIM is part of the cost, not only a spec line. The page says Duo has no physical SIM tray. In mainland China you can activate a locally purchased iPhone Duo, model A3721, and the page says only model A3721 is supported for activation there. China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom can provide eSIM, and activation is done in a carrier store with ID. Do not assume a US, Hong Kong, or Japan unit follows that path.
Japan
The Japan store lists ¥364,800 / ¥399,800 / ¥469,800 / ¥574,800, including 10% consumption tax. A resident pays that number. A short-stay visitor who qualifies can have the 10% removed at a participating tax-free counter with a passport, which brings 256GB back to 364,800 ÷ 1.1 = ¥331,636. The refund has export and store conditions. It is not the resident price, and it is not the price of keeping the phone in Japan.
Pre-order starts at 21:00 on 16 October Japan time, the same moment as 5:00 a.m. PT.
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong store lists HK$17,499 / HK$19,299 / HK$22,799 / HK$27,999. There is no sales tax, so residents and visitors pay the same sticker. There is no lower “after refund” tier. Pre-order is also 8 p.m. on 16 October, with sale from 23 October.
Tax inside the sticker, or added at checkout
To see how Apple priced the phone, strip the tax first. The US sticker is already pre-tax. Divide Japan by 1.10 and mainland China by 1.13. Hong Kong needs no division.
| 256GB, before tax | Local currency | US dollars | Vs the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $1,999 | $1,999 | — |
| Japan | ¥331,636 | $2,093 | +4.7% |
| Mainland China | RMB 14,158 | $2,114 | +5.8% |
| Hong Kong | HK$17,499 | $2,230 | +11.5% |
Before tax, the order is the United States, Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s dollar figure looks modest. In US dollars it is the most expensive of the four before tax. Mainland China’s pre-tax price is only about $115 above the US. The 13% VAT is what pushes the tax-in total to the top of the four.
One day’s checkout, in one currency
Checkout uses the amount you pay locally, with tax left in. Rates are the public figures that could be checked on the day this was written, rounded to the nearest yuan:
- Renminbi: 1 USD = 6.69695 CNY. The 15 October 2026 bank midpoint was 669.6950 yuan per 100 dollars.
- Yen: 1 USD = 158.44 JPY. The IMF representative-rate table runs through 14 October 2026. 15 October was not listed yet.
- Hong Kong dollar: 1 USD = 7.848279 HKD. Published rate for 14 October 2026. The peg moves very little overnight.
| 256GB local checkout | US dollars | Renminbi | Below China |
|---|---|---|---|
| US, 0% sales tax | $1,999.00 | RMB 13,387 | RMB 2,612 |
| US, New York City 8.875% | $2,176.41 | RMB 14,575 | RMB 1,424 |
| Hong Kong | $2,229.66 | RMB 14,932 | RMB 1,067 |
| Japan, 10% included | $2,302.45 | RMB 15,419 | RMB 580 |
| Mainland China | $2,389.00 | RMB 15,999 | — |
After New York City tax, the US phone is still about $53 under Hong Kong, about $126 under Japan, and about $213 under mainland China. For a US checkout to pass Hong Kong, combined sales tax has to clear about 11.5%. Passing Japan takes about 15.2%. Passing mainland China takes about 19.5%. Most US addresses do not reach the last two.
If a short-stay visitor in Japan has the 10% removed, 256GB is about RMB 14,017 ($2,093). That is still above the US pre-tax price, and below both mainland China and Hong Kong. It applies only to someone who qualifies and exports the phone.
Storage steps: 2TB is where the gap opens
US pre-tax steps are +$200 / +$400 / +$600. After Japan’s tax is removed, the steps are about $201 / $402 / $602, almost on top of the US ladder. What costs more in Japan is the starting price plus the 10% tax, not a storage penalty.
Mainland China’s pre-tax steps are about $264 / $463 / $661. Hong Kong’s are about $229 / $446 / $663. High capacities climb faster in both places. 2TB local checkout in renminbi:
| 2TB local checkout | Renminbi | Below China |
|---|---|---|
| US, $3,199, 0% tax | RMB 21,424 | RMB 5,075 |
| US, New York City 8.875% | RMB 23,325 | RMB 3,174 |
| Hong Kong, HK$27,999 | RMB 23,892 | RMB 2,607 |
| Japan, ¥574,800 tax in | RMB 24,296 | RMB 2,203 |
| Mainland China, RMB 26,499 | RMB 26,499 | — |
The mainland premium is about RMB 2,612 at 256GB and about RMB 5,075 at 2TB. Daily use and a development sample stay at 256GB. The inner display does not need a 2TB sample; see the 13 October interface note. Trade-in is not in these two tables. The credit is the quote on the checkout page that day.
Buying across a border does not keep the sticker gap
The tables compare someone in that market, paying Apple there. Someone in mainland China who wants a US or Hong Kong unit to keep the RMB 2,612 or RMB 1,067 has three costs that are not on the sticker.
- Model. The China page says a locally purchased A3721 can be activated, and that only A3721 is supported. If the box does not match, carrier-store activation stops there.
- Warranty. The limited warranty and AppleCare+ follow the purchase market’s support page. AppleCare One and the US family plan in the newsroom are not a promise of a global swap.
- Entry. A new phone brought into mainland China above the personal baggage allowance has to be declared. After tax due and a plane ticket, the roughly RMB 2,612 on 256GB often does not leave much. This note does not describe how to declare less.
The newsroom says Duo is eSIM only worldwide, so the internal space can go to the battery. The US, Japan, Hong Kong, and mainland China units have no physical tray. The difference is which model a mainland carrier store will activate, not a leftover SIM slot on the Hong Kong unit.
Accessories are quoted from the newsroom’s US prices only: the Duo case is $79, and the folio with kickstand is $129, orderable from 16 October. Case prices in the other three markets follow those store pages. Do not multiply $79 by an exchange rate and call it the China or Hong Kong case price.
Buy where you will actually use it
| Where you are | 256GB actual cost | How to choose |
|---|---|---|
| No-tax US state | $1,999, about RMB 13,387 | Lowest checkout of the four. Change the address and sales tax appears |
| New York City | $2,176.41, about RMB 14,575 | After 8.875%, still under Hong Kong, Japan, and mainland China |
| Hong Kong | HK$17,499, about RMB 14,932 | The sticker is the checkout price. About RMB 1,067 under China, and not a default mainland carrier activation |
| Japan, resident | ¥364,800, about RMB 15,419 | Tax-in price is only about RMB 580 under China. The tax refund is not a resident price |
| Mainland China, long-term use | RMB 15,999 | You are paying for local activation of A3721 and a local warranty. The sticker is the highest, and a cross-border gap is often eaten by the model and the declaration |
A development sample stays at 256GB too. Closed, open, and half-folded layouts are checked in Xcode 27.1. The compile does not have to share a laptop with the foldable. Put the Mac on Cloud Mac and keep a single 256GB handset.
FAQ
How much is iPhone Duo in the United States?
256GB is $1,999, then $2,199, $2,599, and $3,199, all before sales tax. A no-tax state pays the starting price. At New York City’s 8.875%, 256GB is $2,176.41. $83.29 a month is a 24-month Apple Card installment; tax and shipping are separate. From $57.99 a month is a Klarna lease, and the phone goes back.
What are the official prices in China, Japan, and Hong Kong?
Mainland China is RMB 15,999 / 17,999 / 21,499 / 26,499, VAT included. Japan is ¥364,800 / ¥399,800 / ¥469,800 / ¥574,800, 10% consumption tax included. Hong Kong is HK$17,499 / HK$19,299 / HK$22,799 / HK$27,999, with no sales tax. Both colors are the same price.
Which market is cheapest in renminbi?
On the 15 October rates, 256GB is about RMB 13,387 (no-tax US), RMB 14,575 (New York City), RMB 14,932 (Hong Kong), RMB 15,419 (Japan, tax in), and RMB 15,999 (mainland China). China is about RMB 2,612 above a no-tax state, RMB 1,067 above Hong Kong, and RMB 580 above Japan.
Does a US or Hong Kong purchase brought to mainland China keep the sticker gap?
Not as a cash saving. The China page says a locally purchased A3721 is what activates there, and that only that model is supported. Warranty follows the purchase market. A new phone over the duty-free baggage allowance has to be declared. About RMB 2,612 against a no-tax state is often smaller than travel plus tax due.
When do pre-order and sale start?
5:00 a.m. PT on 16 October, 20:00 in Beijing, 21:00 in Japan. First wave on 23 October, and 28 more places on 30 October. The China page also says models go on sale after approval.
Which storage step is worth paying for?
The US adds $200 / $400 / $600 before tax. Japan’s pre-tax steps are almost the same. China and Hong Kong climb faster, and 2TB opens about a RMB 5,075 gap between China and a no-tax US state. Daily use and a sample stay at 256GB. Trade-in follows that day’s checkout quote.
Closing
For 256GB, local checkout runs from a no-tax US state, to New York City, to Hong Kong, to Japan, to mainland China. Before tax the order is the United States, Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong: Hong Kong has no tax, so the sticker is already the checkout price, and in dollars it is about 11.5% above the US pre-tax price. RMB 15,999 in China buys a tax-in price, local activation of model A3721, and a local warranty. Before treating a US or Hong Kong sticker gap as money saved, read the model on the box, then the warranty market, then whether entry requires a declaration. Stay at 256GB unless you have already decided to pay the steeper step up to 2TB.
Keep the sample at 256GB. Put the compile on another Mac
Once the foldable layouts are checked, the archive does not have to share a laptop with the Duo.