Iphone 18 cost in Kenya versus importing
Should you buy an iPhone 18 in Kenya, or should you import from the USA? Which one is more cost-effective while avoiding counterfeits?
TLDR:
1. iPhone 18 prices in Kenya are exaggerated. Import straight from the U.S.
2. Apple is one of the most counterfeited brands. Don't risk your hard-earned money buying counterfeit iPhone 18 in Kenya.
3. For high-value products like an iPhone, consider using the Kentex Cargo Assisted Shopping program, where we shop and ship on your behalf, 100% guaranteed to get your iPhone.
iPhone 18 is launching this week, and initial deliveries would happen a week or two after, which is exactly 2 weeks from today. It is surprising that there are stores in Nairobi already selling iPhone 18.
What does that tell you? They are selling fake iPhones from China, even before the official launch or official shipping of the first iPhone has happened from Apple.
Even before we talk about the cost of iPhone 18 in Kenya versus importing, you have to really trust the source that you're buying from in Kenya is actually selling you a legit product.
Apple is one of the most counterfeited brands in the world, and most of the iPhones being sold in Kenya are potentially counterfeits, but it is not easy to tell.
How much would it cost to buy an iPhone in Kenya locally?
Fake or not, it is not any cheaper when buying a knockoff in Kenya versus buying a brand-new, legit iPhone. They sell them the same because you cannot tell the difference.
You can expect to pay anywhere between KES 150,000 and KES 230,000 for an iPhone 18 Pro Max, depending on the gigabytes.
I cannot emphasize enough that you almost cannot tell the difference between the authentic one and the counterfeit one until you do a serial number check.
In the United States, you can expect to pay anywhere between $1,100 and $1,800, depending on the GB. The cost of shipping it straight from Apple to your doorstep would be anywhere between $120 and $200, all-inclusive of taxes and duties.
When you ship straight from the manufacturer, you are 100% guaranteed that you are indeed getting an authentic iPhone.
Should you buy locally, or should you import for yourself?
Personally, I would never buy any Apple product or many other products in Kenya. Statistically, almost 70% of all brand products sold in Kenya are counterfeit from China.
I would not spend KES 150,000 to KES 230,000 to buy a product that I am not sure is authentic or counterfeit.
How does Kentex Cargo help me import?
You can buy your iPhone 18 straight from the Apple Store or other retailers and ship it straight to our warehouse. All you need to do is create a free shipping account and get a warehouse code we assign you.
Anything that comes to the warehouse with your warehouse code ships all the way to Kenya, straight to you.
We also have assisted shopping, where we shop and ship on your behalf. For example, if you want to buy an iPhone 18 from Apple, you would share your product URL from the Apple website and your specifications.
Our Kentex Cargo team would send you a quotation that is all-inclusive of taxes and duties. Once you have paid, our Kentex Cargo team in the U.S. would buy your iPhone on your behalf, absolve any risks in between shipping and clearing, and finally deliver it to your doorstep.
The assisted shopping program is the best for buying high-value goods and avoiding taking risks in between, in case anything is lost or stolen.