Social Media Critic VDM Warns Nigerian Vendors Against Inflating iPhone 18 Prices
- Apple unveiled its iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, during a major product event on September 9, 2026
- Nigerian social media critic VeryDarkMan warned local phone vendors from an Apple Store in China against inflating the price of the newly released iPhone 18 for Nigerian buyers
- Nigerian gadget vendors have a history of adjusting iPhone prices beyond currency shifts, a pattern VDM previously clashed with businessman Blord over during the iPhone 17 launch
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Social media critic VeryDarkMan has sent a pointed warning to Nigerian phone vendors, following the release of Apple's new iPhone 18.
Source: Instagram
Apple unveiled its most expansive product lineup in years on September 9, 2026, headlined by its first-ever foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, alongside the new iPhone 18 Pro series.
The event marked incoming CEO John Ternus's first major keynote since formally succeeding Tim Cook on September 1.
According to reports, the iPhone Duo, priced at $1,999, unfolds to a 7.6-inch display and collapses to a 5.4-inch outer screen, placing Apple in direct competition with Samsung and Google in the foldable market.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max start at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively, both powered by a new A20 Pro chip and a 48-megapixel camera system.
Pre-orders for the Pro models open on September 12, with the devices hitting shelves from September 18.
VeryDarkMan warns Nigerian vendors on iPhone 18 prices
Nigerian social media critic VeryDarkMan, known as VDM, used the launch to issue a pointed warning to Nigerian phone vendors, filming himself inside an Apple Store in China shortly after the iPhone 18's release.
He said he had already placed an order for the device, expecting it to arrive by September 18, and cautioned vendors that inflating the iPhone 18's price would also drive up prices for the older iPhone 17.
He added that if prices went up in Nigeria, he would personally help people buy the device and bring it into the country, warning vendors that he would "spoil the market" regardless of any backlash from businesspeople.
The Instagram video of VDM issuing the warning from China is below.
Nigeria's long-running gadget price inflation problem
Vendor price inflation is a recurring frustration in Nigeria's gadget market, where iPhones are dollar-denominated imports subject to naira depreciation, import duties of 20 to 35 per cent, and additional shipping and clearing charges that can push total markups to 30 to 45 per cent above Apple's wholesale price.
While currency shifts account for much of that gap, buyers have long accused vendors of padding prices beyond what exchange rates alone would justify, particularly around new iPhone launches when demand spikes.
It is this pattern that fuels VDM's ongoing rivalry with businessman Blord, whom he previously accused in 2025 of price gouging Nigerians on the iPhone 17.
Reactions to VDM's latest China video leaned heavily on that history, with many users joking about Blord's reputation for reselling older iPhones as "upgraded" models.
WhatsApp drops support for older iPhone devices
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that WhatsApp officially ended support for phones running Android 5.0 and 5.1 on September 8, 2026, affecting over 31 older smartphone models.
iPhone users face a separate deadline on November 30, 2026, when the minimum requirement rises to iOS 15.5, a change that will affect older devices including the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
