Meet The UAE Residents Who Spent Thousands Of Dirhams On Iphone 17 On The First Day Of Launch

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

It was all smiles and excitement as several people lined up outside the Apple store at both Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates to get their hands on the brand-new iterations of the iPhone 17 on Friday morning.

One such person was Abdul Rafique, who spent a whooping Dh42,594 to secure six phones on the first day for his entire family. An out and out Apple fan, this isn't the first time he has bought an iPhone on the first day. In 2023, he was the first person in line to get his hands on the first iPhone14s. That day as well he had booked six devices for his family. However, he said this time it was more difficult to secure all his devices, and he had to split and time and location.

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“I booked two phones to be picked up from Mall of the Emirates in the morning and four phones to be picked up from Dubai Mall in the evening,” he told Khaleej Times.“My family are eagerly awaiting the devices, and I am excited about getting these to them.”

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He wasn't the only one who bought multiple devices for his family. At Dubai Mall, banker Romit Aggarwal purchased a total of seven iPhone Air and Pro Max for his family including his mother and cousins.“I am upgrading from iPhone 15 Pro to the iPhone Air, and it feels like a great upgrade,” he said.“The occasion is great with the new iPhone launching and that's why I'm buying for everyone.”

However, he declined to reveal how much he had spent on his purchase.

Cash purchases

At Mall of the Emirates, several tourists could be seen walking around the mall with their fanny packs and bags full of cash, eager to purchase some devices. One tourist, who did not wish to be identified, said he was visiting from a CIS country.“In our country, the iPhone doesn't release until much later,” he said, as he carefully counted out cash from his bag to give his friend who had secured an appointment at the Apple Store at 8am.“So, we flew into Dubai earlier this week to make sure we are here at the time of the launch.”

Several buyers who bought multiple devices were seen bargaining with dealers and other tourists for the best prices. One person counted out Dh24,000 in cash after he sold his devices to a dealer.“I made a profit of an average Dh1,500 per device,” he said. The buyers - mobile shop owners in other parts of Dubai - said they had customers willing to pay a premium on the iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB devices they had secured.“The biggest demand is for the Pro Max with 1 TB and 2 TB storage,” said one.“However, we have been unable to secure them. So, we are still hunting for these devices.”

Excited buyers

For one Dubai resident, buying the brand-new device was a selfless act of love. Abu Hashim was one of the first buyers of the iPhone Air at Mall of the Emirates. He said he waited online on September 12 for about five minutes, constantly refreshing his screen when he was able to snag an appointment. However, he didn't go through all this trouble for himself. He bought the phone as a gift for his girlfriend who is a huge Apple fan.

“She is a big fan of the device, and I wanted to gift it to her,” he said.“I feel like it was slightly easier to get an iPhone Air as people were more interested in the iPhone 17 Pro Max. I was able to book one and get a slot at 8am. A lot of people asked me if I would consider reselling it, but I went through a lot of trouble for it and I want to gift it to my girlfriend. So, I politely declined.”

For 14-year-old Apple fan Mohammed Fahad, it was a memorable day. Both he and his father Mohammed Fareed bought the new iPhone 17 Pro Max at Dubai Mall. The student at Al Sadiq Islamic English School in Al Qusais said he can't wait to unbox the device at home.

“Currently, I use the iPhone 15 Pro Max which was a gift from my father,” he said.“I love the camera quality, and iPhone's brand is prestigious.”

He added that the camera will be the first thing he tries when he unboxes his new device.

Flying in for the latest

For many iPhone lovers, this was the perfect time to visit the UAE. Mohammed Hammad, 27, owns a mobile store in Egypt and arrived in the UAE on vacation earlier this month. He got three iPhones - two in orange and one in blue.“I love the orange this year, and it'll definitely suit my mother as well,” he said. He added that the blue one was for his brother and that he would be flying back to Egypt after three days.

Saudi expat Mansoor also flew into Dubai on Thursday night and was at the Apple store at 8am to pick up his new AirPods Pro 3 for Dh949.“I tried to order them to Saudi, but there is no physical store there so delivery would take at least two-three weeks,” he said.“I come to Dubai every weekend, so I booked for the device on September 12 and picked a slot today. It was relatively easy to get an appointment today because they have a lot of these in stock.”

Aside from innovation and reliability, iPhone's reputation for security adds a layer of appeal for its loyal (diehard) customers. Dubai-based IT security expert Rayad Kamal Ayub told Khaleej Times:“The new iPhone 17 lineup, including the iPhone Air, introduces enhanced security features aimed at combating spyware and other malicious threats. One of the standout features is the Memory Integrity Enforcement (MIE), which provides robust, hardware-backed protection for both the device's kernel and userland processes. By preventing unauthorised access methods commonly used by hackers, MIE significantly strengthens defences against sophisticated spyware.”

“Additionally, the integration of Apple Intelligence helps users better identify legitimate communications, such as order tracking emails, thereby reducing the chances of falling victim to phishing scams that often accompany spyware attacks. These innovations reflect Apple's commitment to providing users with advanced tools for maintaining their security and privacy in an increasingly complex digital landscape,” added Rayad, who is getting iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Plus.

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