Apple iPhone 18 Pro & Pro Max Hit Pre‑order, Samsung Foldables & S26 Series Slashed in the UK

If you’ve been waiting for Apple’s newest flagship, the moment is finally here – pre‑orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max open on 18 September. The devices look a lot like last year’s iPhone 17 Pro line, but Apple has slipped in fresh colour options and, more importantly, a brand‑new 2 nm A20 Pro chip that promises a noticeable bump in speed.

The cameras get a small but handy tweak too: the main rear shooter now sports a variable aperture, which should help in low‑light situations without needing an extra lens. Pricing in the UK starts at £1,199 for the 256 GB iPhone 18 Pro and £1,299 for the 256 GB Pro Max, with 512 GB variants climbing to £1,399 and £1,499 respectively.

For anyone still holding onto a 2025 model, Apple is offering a bit of a price‑relief. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are both on discount – up to £150 off the 256 GB version of the Pro, and £100 off the Pro Max – making them a decent fallback if you’re not ready to splash out on the newest chips.

Looking ahead, Apple’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, will join the lineup in October. Pre‑orders begin on the 16th, with sales slated for the 23rd. The Duo combines a 7.6‑inch inner flexible display with a 5.4‑inch outer cover screen, both holding a 4:3 aspect ratio. It runs the same A20 Pro silicon but sticks with a dual‑camera rig instead of the variable‑aperture system.

While Apple is polishing its foldable, Samsung is already slashing prices on its own. The Galaxy Z Fold8 and the larger Z Fold8 Ultra are both available with discounts of up to £250 in the UK, bringing the 256 GB Fold8 down to £1,449 and the 256 GB Ultra to £1,799. If you prefer something a bit more compact, the Galaxy Z Flip8 enjoys a £200 voucher discount, landing at £1,119 for the 512 GB model.

All of Samsung’s latest foldables are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, a performance powerhouse that should keep them competitive against Apple’s new hardware.

And it doesn’t stop at foldables. Samsung’s entire Galaxy S26 family is seeing price cuts too. The standard S26 drops £250 with a voucher, priced at £799 for the 12 GB/512 GB variant. The S26+ enjoys a £370 reduction, now £899, while the premium S26 Ultra gets a hefty £400 off, sliding to £1,049. Even the more budget‑friendly S26 FE is trimmed by £50, bringing the 256 GB model to £749.

In short, whether you’re chasing Apple’s latest silicon or Samsung’s discounted flagship and foldable lineup, there’s a sweet spot for most budgets right now. Just keep an eye on the dates – the iPhone 18 Pro series ships from 18 September, the iPhone Duo arrives late October, and Samsung’s deals are already live.