South Africans with deep pockets can never get enough of their electronic gadgets.

As the highly anticipated new version of the iPhone was launched in Mzansi last week, the US cellphone makers received a record number of pre-orders for the phone.

According to Core South Africa, the sole distributors for Apple in the country, the number of pre-orders it received for the model was higher than any other models.

"As with previous years, the demand is very encouraging and we have received a record number of pre-orders. Unfortunately I can't reveal the numbers," said spokeswoman Phile Khumalo.

For one to own the top-of-the-range iPhone 8 plus 256GB, you would have to fork out a whopping R18500 or get the entry-level iPhone 8 at R13500.

Those who wish to buy the bling gadget on contract can expect to pay no less than R600 per month for a contract of 24 months.

The phone charges wirelessly and is water and dust resistant.

Khumalo said South Africans of all colours, gender and diverse income were on the pre-order list.

"We are proud that our customer base is a fair representation of the South African society and the uptake of iPhone by your targeted readership is phenomenal ...," she said.

Samsung also released its latest flagship device Note 8 in September. The device costs R18499, making it the current most expensive from the brand.

If bought on contract, it can cost anything from R800 per month. It is also water and dust resistant.

The Samsung gadget has 64GB, 128GB or 256GB internal storage memory.

Spokesman Phathutshedzo Nepfumbada said he could not disclose how many units had been sold so far. It is understood that the retail store in Sandton alone sells over 10 units daily.