Apple's 'Surprise and Shine' event is done, and this year Singapore gets two stories for the price of one keynote: the fastest iPhones ever, and the first one that folds.
> Quick view: iPhone 18 Pro from S$1,899, iPhone 18 Pro Max from S$2,099, pre-orders open now (from 8pm SGT, Saturday 12 Sep), in stores 18 Sep. iPhone Duo (foldable) from S$3,099, pre-orders 8pm 16 Oct, available 23 Oct. No standard iPhone 18 this year. Singtel, StarHub and M1 open pre-orders the same evenings.
Singapore prices at a glance
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max (both S$200 up on last year's launch prices):
| Storage | iPhone 18 Pro | iPhone 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 256GB | S$1,899 | S$2,099 |
| 512GB | S$2,199 | S$2,399 |
| 1TB | S$2,799 | S$2,999 |
| 2TB | S$3,699 | S$3,899 |
iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable:
| Storage | iPhone Duo |
|---|---|
| 256GB | S$3,099 |
| 512GB | S$3,399 |
| 1TB | S$3,999 |
| 2TB | S$4,899 |
For comparison, last year's iPhone 17 Pro launched at S$1,698 and the 17 Pro Max at S$1,899, so both Pro models are about S$200 dearer this generation. There is no standard iPhone 18 this round: reports point to the base model arriving in spring 2027, so the cheapest way into this year's lineup is the S$1,899 Pro or a discounted iPhone 17.
The key dates
- Saturday 12 September, 8pm SGT: iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max pre-orders open on the Apple Store app and apple.com/sg. Purchase limit of two of each model per customer.
- Monday 14 September: iOS 27 rolls out to existing iPhones
- Friday 18 September: iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in stores
- Friday 16 October, 8pm SGT: iPhone Duo pre-orders open
- Friday 23 October: iPhone Duo goes on sale
What is actually new
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: the A20 Pro chip (40% faster graphics and double the AI processing of last year's A19 Pro), a smaller Dynamic Island, and the first variable aperture main camera on an iPhone: six laser-cut blades physically open and close between f/1.48 and f/4, giving real control over depth of field and low light. Battery life is rated up to 34 hours of video on the Pro and 43 hours on the Pro Max, with a 50% charge in about 15 minutes wired. Colours: Burgundy, Glacier, Silver, Black.
iPhone Duo: a book-style foldable with a 7.6-inch inner display (50% larger than the 18 Pro Max screen) that closes to a 5.4-inch outer display, and Apple says it is the thinnest iPhone ever when open. Twin 48MP cameras match the Pro models, a dual-battery design is rated up to 44 hours on the outer screen, and iOS 27 adds proper Split View multitasking for the big screen. Colours: Star White and Night Sky.
Apple vs Singtel vs StarHub vs M1 at a glance
| Apple | Singtel | StarHub | M1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro 256GB | S$1,899 outright | $0 upfront on the top 5G+ Priority tier | $0 device on the Platinum Plan | $0 upfront on Bespoke Flexi at $63.95/mth |
| Pre-order opens | Sat 12 Sep, 8pm SGT | Sat 12 Sep, 8pm SGT | Sat 12 Sep, 8pm SGT | Sat 12 Sep, 8pm SGT |
| How you pay | Full price, or 0% instalments up to 24 months on eligible cards | Upfront device price set by plan tier, or spread over 12, 24 or 36 months with Singtel PayLater | Pay-later over 36 months, with DeviceDollars credited across the term | Bespoke Flexi ($0 upfront, 36 months) or Bespoke Contract (24 months) |
| Trade-in | S$230 to S$1,615 by bank transfer for iPhone 13 or newer | Trade-in stacks with port-in, bank card and Apple Watch bundle discounts | Base trade-in value plus a $200 pre-order bonus, up to $1,200 on the best deal | Trade-in value plus $200 cashback, but only on pre-orders placed 12 to 17 Sep |
| Contract lock-in | None | 24 months | 36 months on the pay-later plan | 36 months (Flexi) or 24 months (Contract) |
| Best for | SIM-only users who want the lowest total cost | Anyone who can stack a port-in, a trade-in and a bank discount at once | Someone with a recent iPhone to trade who also wants the HBO Max and plan discounts | The lowest monthly on a $0 upfront phone |
What each telco actually put on the table at 8pm
All three opened at the same time, and all three are advertising a $0 phone. The $0 is real in each case, but it is assembled differently, and two of the three now ask for 36 months rather than the 24 the market used to run on.
Singtel: the discount stack. Singtel's pitch is "$0 iPhone with trade-in on 5G+ Priority L plan", and its own worked example shows how it gets there on an iPhone 18 Pro Max 256GB, which starts at $760 upfront on that tier: port-in or sign-up takes off $381, trading in an iPhone 16 Pro Max 256GB takes off $800, a bank card discount $100, a 24-month MobileSwop Plus sign-up $150, and bundling an Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 another $155. Singtel's own total: you'll pay $0. The same ladder puts the iPhone 18 Pro 256GB at $580 before those discounts. On the top Priority tier the upfront price is already $0 for the iPhone 18 Pro at 256GB, 512GB and 1TB (2TB is $790), and $0 for the Pro Max at 256GB and 512GB ($150 at 1TB, $970 at 2TB). Note how many separate conditions that stack needs: strip out the trade-in and the bank card and the $0 disappears.
StarHub: DeviceDollars spread over 36 months. On the Platinum Plan, StarHub takes the iPhone 18 Pro Max 256GB from its $2,099 list price to $0 with an exclusive device discount of $160, a new line or port-in bonus of $350, and $1,800 of "DeviceDollars on us" credited over 36 months, a total of $2,310 off. On top it adds a $200 trade-in bonus above your base trade-in value; StarHub's illustration assumes an iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB at an estimated $645 base value, paid back to you as cashback. The perks stack is the biggest of the three: 50% off plans for six months with promo code FIFTYOFF (Max plan and above, new sign-ups and port-ins only), $50 off an Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4, 12 months of HBO Max (worth $173), and a guaranteed 50% trade-in value on your next upgrade with SmartSupport, free for the first month. StarHub calls the whole package "over $4,000 in savings and perks", and also labels it "for illustration only", which is the part to read twice.
M1: the lowest monthly, and a deadline. M1 is running Bespoke Flexi at $0 upfront over 36 months on a 600GB plan: $63.95/mth for the iPhone 18 Pro 256GB, $71.95 for 512GB, $88.95 for 1TB and $113.95 for 2TB. The Pro Max is $68.95/mth at 256GB, $77.95 at 512GB, $93.95 at 1TB and $118.95 at 2TB. If you would rather sign 24 months, Bespoke Contract runs six tiers from $31.47/mth to $124.97/mth, and the upfront device price falls as the plan rises: the iPhone 18 Pro 256GB costs $1,137 upfront on the $31.47 plan but $0 from the $89.97 plan up, and the Pro Max 256GB drops from $1,319 to $0 at the same point. The time-critical bit: M1 is paying an extra $200 cashback on top of your trade-in value, but only on eligible iPhone 18 pre-orders placed between 12 and 17 September 2026. You do not have to hand the old phone over on the spot, and you get 7 working days from purchase to complete the trade-in. SAFRA cardmembers get a further $100 off.
Figures above read off Singtel's, StarHub's and M1's own pre-order pages at 8pm on 12 September 2026.
Apple or telco: how to pay less
Buying direct from Apple. Apple Singapore is offering S$230 to S$1,615 in trade-in credit (paid by bank transfer) when you trade in an iPhone 13 or newer towards an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone Duo, plus 0% instalments up to 24 months on eligible cards. If you are on a SIM-only plan (about $10 to $20 a month), this route is usually the cheapest total cost of ownership.
Buying from Singtel, StarHub or M1. All three opened at 8pm alongside Apple, and all three now advertise a $0 handset. The section above sets out exactly how each one gets there. The catch is not the discount, it is the term: StarHub's $0 leans on DeviceDollars credited over 36 months, and M1's $0 upfront Bespoke Flexi is a 36-month plan too. Only Singtel's headline stack sits on a 24-month commitment, and it needs a port-in, a trade-in, a bank card and an Apple Watch purchase to reach zero.
The honest math, and the useful thing here is that Singtel publishes it itself. On its own comparison, an iPhone 18 Pro 256GB on the 5G+ Enhanced S phone plan at $78/mth works out to $2,591 over 24 months, against $2,739 if you buy the phone outright and take the 5G+ Enhanced Core SIM-only plan at $40/mth. Singtel's stated gap: $148. On the Pro Max the same comparison is $2,771 against $2,939, a $168 difference. So on a mid-tier plan the phone-plan route saves you roughly the price of one month's subscription across two years, and that is the telco's own arithmetic, before you weigh the lock-in. A telco makes sense if you would pay for the big-data plan anyway, or if you can land the full discount stack. If you just want the phone, trade in with Apple and stay SIM-only.
One more lobang: Apple's education store discounts remain live for students and teachers, and the iPhone 17 lineup gets its usual quiet price cut now that it is last season, so keep an eye on telco clearance deals for the 17 Pro in the next fortnight.
Should you wait for the iPhone Duo or the iPhone 18?
- Want the best iPhone now: iPhone 18 Pro, pre-orders are open now. The variable aperture camera is the biggest camera change in years.
- Want the folding future: iPhone Duo pre-orders are five weeks away, and first-run foldables sell out fast; expect the 16 October 8pm queue to be brutal.
- On a budget: wait for the standard iPhone 18 in spring 2027, or grab an iPhone 17 as prices drop this month.
