Dubai: Consumers and mobile phone dealers are waiting with bated breath for the scheduled launch of new iPhones on September 9, with the grey market already flooded with calls for bookings.
iPhone enthusiasts are expecting the smart phone manufacturer Apple to launch two variants of the new iPhone, a 4.7 inch model and a 5.5 inch model.
“I think it’s a done deal that the iPhone 6 will be launched as a 4.7 inch variant and a 5.5 inch variant. But the only question is whether both the models will be announced and be available a few days after the announcement or whether the 5.5 inch model will be delayed due to what is rumoured to be production delays,” said Omar Qasim, founder of www.jadopado.com, a popular Dubai-based online electronics store.
He also said that there hints from the US electronics giant about the possible launch of iWatch.
“The outlier is the iWatch. Given the recent hires that Apple has made from the fashion world, including the famous Angela Ahrendts, the previous CEO of Burberry, to run Apple Retail, and the large three-storey building being built outside the Flint Centre, it looks like the iWatch is set to be announced, but it will probably not be available until early 2015,” added Qasim.
According to usual Apple convention, new products are made available in the US market within 10 days of announcement. So the new products will be available in the US and other markets where they will be launched by September 19.
Local dealers in the UAE are expecting to lay their hands on the new products by September 21.
“Usually what happens with every Apple launch is that we get the phones within a couple of days of their availability in the US and European markets. In the first few days the iPhones are sold for more than double their actual market price,” said Syed Arshad, a local dealer.
Another dealer, Mahmoud Agha, said business for high-end smartphones has been slow over the last few weeks as most buyers are waiting for the launch of the new iPhone.
“We get inquiries daily from consumers about the new iPhone. Some are even willing to pay an advance and make the bookings, but we haven’t started to take bookings yet as we are not yet sure what’s coming. Once the announcements are made on Tuesday, we will start taking orders and by September 22 we should be able to start delivering the phones,” said Agha, who runs a wholesale mobile business in Deira.
The prices of the new iPhones are expected to be anywhere from Dh5,000 to Dh6,000, depending on what the actual price of the product is.
“We expect demand to be strong given that the iPhone’s form factor hasn’t changed since the iPhone 5 was introduced two years ago. Apple continues to command a strong share of the top end of the market and continues to capture a very high percentage of the profit share in the smartphone space. I can’t see any other manufacturer’s devices at this time that will give the iPhone 6 a serious run for its money,” added Qasim of jadopado.com.
Qasim said alternatively sourced devices should be available by September 20 on his online store, albeit at a premium.
Officially, the new iPhones are expected hit the UAE market by early October. However, officials from etisalat and du were not immediately available to confirm the launch date.
