Apple has confirmed the start of official sales of the new iPhone 18 lineup, smartwatches, and earbuds — in Ukraine, the gadgets will hit retail shelves on September 25, 2026. Alongside the traditional flagship refresh, the company unveiled two fundamentally new devices: the ultra-flagship iPhone 18 Pro Max with a record camera, and the entirely new foldable iPhone Duo. According to RBK-Ukraine estimates, the price of the novelties in the national currency makes them one of the most expensive consumer goods on the market: with the average salary reported by the State Statistics Service for July at 32,243 UAH, buying the top model is comparable to several months of a full average Ukrainian's earnings.
Launch dates and lineup composition
Official sales of the entire iPhone 18 lineup, as well as the accompanying smartwatches and earbuds, are scheduled for September 25, 2026. This means that roughly two weeks remain until retail sales begin from the current date. The key novelties in the lineup are the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the foldable iPhone Duo, which Apple positions as a generational technological breakthrough: the former as a device with maximum specifications, the latter as the company's first book-style smartphone in an ultra-durable body.
Prices and ratio to the average salary
The most affordable version of the iPhone 18 Pro, according to RBK-Ukraine, will cost approximately 75,999 UAH, while the top-tier iPhone Duo with 2 TB of storage will require a payment of around 198,999 UAH. For comparison, the average salary in Ukraine in July was 32,243 UAH. This means that the base Pro requires setting aside a little more than two average salaries, while the most expensive option requires more than six. Thus, buying a flagship effectively demands several months of full earnings, excluding taxes and other expenses.
Technical features of the novelties
The iPhone 18 Pro Max features the largest-capacity battery in Apple's history, a next-generation processor, and a camera with physical moving "petals" — a mechanical system that, according to the company's statements, is supposed to improve shooting quality. The iPhone Duo is built in an ultra-durable titanium body: when folded, it is the size of a regular passport, and when unfolded it becomes a 7.6-inch tablet. It is precisely this foldable format that Apple is promoting as the main visual symbol of the new generation of devices.
Contradictory data
Exact retail prices vary across different publications. RBK-Ukraine cites a range of approximately 75,999 UAH (iPhone 18 Pro) to 198,999 UAH (iPhone Duo 2 TB), while novosti.ua reports prices of "83 to 188 thousand hryvnias," and telegraf.com.ua emphasizes that the new iPhone in Ukraine is being asked for at "more than 100 thousand," highlighting the difference from cheaper prices in the US. In addition, gazeta.ua writes that Apple may raise iPhone 18 prices by up to 20% due to the rising cost of components. Thus, the final retail price in Ukraine at the time of the September 25 launch may differ from preliminary estimates, and the two versions of the figures do not yet match.
