The price of Apple's new iPhone Duo has left many people speechless - and perhaps wondering who would actually spend up to ₹4.5 lakh on a phone. Unveiled on September 9, Apple's first foldable iPhone - Duo - price starts at $1,999 in the US and ₹2,99,900 in India, the most that the tech giant has charged for its highly sought after smartphones. Its top variant - the 2TB version - will be priced $3,200 in the US and ₹4,49,900 in India.
Amid internet exploding with memes over the price, there are also plenty of people for whom that amount is comfortably within reach. At the end of the day, priorities differ: for one person, it could mean owning Apple's most ambitious new phone; for another, the same money could mean a car, a holiday, gold or a complete home makeover.
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Having said the above, the top-end iPhone Duo, priced at ₹4,49,900 in India, can buy one quite a few things beyond a smartphone. Here's a look at what else you could do with roughly ₹4.5 lakh.
Fly to some of the most popular destinations from India - several times over
Based on fares available for travel on September 13, booking a day in advance, ₹4.5 lakh can translate into multiple one-way journeys on some of India's busiest domestic and international routes. Fares can change rapidly depending on availability, airline and booking time.
{{/usCountry}}Based on fares available for travel on September 13, booking a day in advance, ₹4.5 lakh can translate into multiple one-way journeys on some of India's busiest domestic and international routes. Fares can change rapidly depending on availability, airline and booking time.
{{/usCountry}}Considering the five most frequent domestic and international air travels — Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Bengaluru Delhi-Bengaluru, Mumbai-Dubai and Delhi-Dubai, ₹4.5 lakh can get one up to 96 one-way flights.
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-Delhi-Mumbai: At around ₹6,000-plus for a one-way ticket, ₹4.5 lakh could get you roughly over 70 flights.
-Mumbai-Bengaluru: With fares starting at about ₹4,661 for September 13, that works out to roughly 96 one-way flights.
Delhi-Bengaluru: With current one-way fares around the ₹7,000-plus range, you could make roughly 60 flights.
Mumbai-Dubai: Air India lists economy fares from around ₹14,000, putting ₹4.5 lakh at roughly 32 one-way flights.
Delhi-Dubai: Depending on the airline and availability, last-minute fares can vary sharply; current listings show substantially higher fares on some services.
Delhi-Abu Dhabi: Current one-way fares are around the ₹12,000-plus mark on some listings, meaning roughly 35 one-way flights could fit into ₹4.5 lakh.
In other words, the same amount that buys one phone could potentially take you around the country - or across the Gulf - dozens of times.
Buy a new car
₹4.5 lakh won't get you every new car in India, but it does put some models firmly within reach. The Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 starts at around ₹3.70 lakh ex-showroom, meaning you could buy the entry-level version and still have roughly ₹80,000 left before on-road costs.
The Tata Tiago, meanwhile, starts at around ₹4.77 lakh, just above the ₹4.5-lakh iPhone Duo price.
₹4.5 lakh probably can also get one many pre-owned vehicles.
Buy nearly 30 grams of gold
On September 12, 24-carat gold was around ₹1.53 lakh per 10 grams in Delhi, according to indicative market rates. At that price, ₹4.5 lakh is equivalent to roughly 29 grams of 24K gold, before GST and making charges.
For jewellery, the calculation would be different because 22K gold is more commonly used and making charges, taxes and other costs are added.
Cars, flights and gold aren't the only ways to put ₹4.5 lakh to use. The same amount can also transform a room, give your home a serious makeover or fund a luxury holiday.
So, yes, there are people who will look at the ₹4.5 lakh iPhone Duo and see a phone worth owning. For others, the amount might be a car, dozens of flights, nearly 30 grams of gold, a redesigned home or a holiday - or some combination of all five.