As new iPhones hit stores tomorrow, it’s clear that smartphones are getting more expensive. So how should we navigate this as buyers? Alexander Wong, Managing Editor of SoyaCincau, joins Ringgit and Sense to unpack what your money actually buys across today's higher price tiers and where he believes the pricing sweet spot is.

As expected, Apple unveiled its latest hardware lineup last week, featuring the much-anticipated iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable iPhone, while a base-model iPhone 18 was notably absent. Pricing has quickly become a primary talking point, with Apple effectively raising the floor price across its lineup. The new iPhone 18 Pro series sees price increases over the previous generation, while the iPhone 17 remains in the lineup at the higher RM4,299 price point rather than receiving a traditional price drop. Driven by global AI demand, an escalating memory shortage, dubbed "Ramageddon", is pushing up smartphone prices across budget, mid-range, and flagship tiers.

Alex evaluates whether ultra-premium foldables like the iPhone Duo justify their price tags, reveals what he believes is the new smartphone sweet spot, and breaks down how memory supply shifts are impacting mid-tier models. Plus, get practical strategies to stretch your tech budget, from trade-ins and certified refurbished devices to protection plans.