Dubai: Customers in the UAE will be able to pre-order the highly-anticipated iPhone 5 through etisalat’s website from Sunday.

The telco operator will offer value-packed prepaid and postpaid package options on all three new iPhone 5 devices — 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.

There are three packages mentioned on the website — free with subsidised devices, free device with 4GB package and free mobile connection.

Khalid Al Khouly, Chief Marketing Officer at etisalat, confirmed availability of the iPhone 5 in the UAE from December 13 onwards.

“The new iPhone 5 has been much-awaited across the region and we understand the enthusiasm of our customers to own a piece of the action. We assure customers that the features of the iPhone 5 device, combined with Etisalat’s wide 3G network in the UAE, will provide an exceptional user experience,” Al Khouly said in a statement.

Du was not available for comment.

Both the telco operators were planning to launch the device in November. The official UAE launch comes more than two months after the initial launch in the US. The iPhone 5 was first launched on September 21.

Apple is officially launching the iPhone 5 in the UAE and China on December 14, with price expected to be the same as the iPhone 4S.

Retailers are selling the 16GB iPhone 5 between Dh3,000 to Dh4,000 in the grey market while etisalat is selling the  new iPhone 5 at Dh2749 for 16GB, Dh3149 for 32GB and Dh3549 for 64GB devices.

Etisalat’s customers buying the new iPhone 5 will enjoy an enhanced mobile data experience offered on the nation’s widest 3G HSPA+ network. Etisalat’s HSPA+ network covers more than 99 per cent of the country’s populated areas and supports Internet speeds of up to 42Mbps.

It allows customers to enjoy speed-demanding apps such as video-streaming, networked gaming, browsing and much more.

Apple’s all new iPhone 5 has a larger display, a faster chip, ultrafast wireless technology and an 8MP iSight camera that shoots 1080p HD video.

It sports a 4-inch Retina display that lets you see larger, vivid and lifelike images. With support for the latest wireless technologies, iPhone 5 connects to more networks all over the world.

The all-new Apple-designed A6 chip in iPhone 5 is powerful with an outstanding battery life. Its CPU and graphic performance is twice as fast as the A5 chip.