Dubai: Some retailers who are making a killing in iPhone 5 sales, are also offering buyers in the UAE the additional service of cutting micro-SIM to fit into the new smartphone’s nano-SIM slot, Gulf News has learnt.
The iPhone 5 connects to the local networks via a nano-SIM, which is smaller than the standard-sized SIMs used in most mobile phones and even smaller than the micro-SIM used in other Apple products.
Buyers are at the mercy of the retailers to cut their existing micro-SIM to fit into the iPhone 5, which is yet unavailable in the UAE. Etisalat and du are expected to issue the real nano SIMs when the iPhone 5 is launched in the UAE.
“I believe the retailers have certain tools that enable them to cut the micro-SIM to fit into the nano-SIM slot and help them use the new smartphone,” Mohammad Sadiq, director of UK-based Siasa Telecom, told Gulf News. His company has imported two shipments of iPhone 5 into the UAE. His company is selling Apple’s latest device for Dh3,400 to Dh3,800 to retailers.
The iPhone 5 went on sale worldwide on Friday after its launch in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Britain, France and Germany.
It will launch in 22 more countries weeks later. It is not yet clear when Apple will be releasing the iPhone 5 in the Middle East, giving international mobile phone distributors like Siasa the opportunity to supply consumers direct.
Devices sold
Siasa Telecom sold its first shipment of 160 iPhone handsets on Saturday and the second shipment of 500 pieces arrived yesterday. Sadiq said the cutting tools are available in the market and his company also provides these to retailers.
Officials say this is the only way to use the new iPhone 5 handset in a territory where telecom operators have yet to launch its services commercially. When contacted, officials of etisalat and du could not confirm the date of the commercial launch of iPhone 5 services in the UAE.
Apple Inc. is likely to sell 10 million iPhone 5 handsets in a few weeks and may not be able to keep up with demand.
