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iPhone apple of their eyes [Gulf News (United Arab Emirates)](Gulf News (United Arab Emirates) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dubai: For die-hard iPhone fans price doesn't seem to be an issue. They are willing to pay any amount just to lay their hands on the new gadgets from Apple Inc. Apple announced the launch of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on September 9 and the new phones were released in the US and other major markets on September 19. In the UAE, the new iPhones will be officially launched on September 27, but die-hard iPhone fans have already got their units through the grey market at exorbitant prices. "I bought the iPhone 6Plus 16GB on September 20 for Dh7,000 and then I sold it to a friend. The next day I purchased iPhone 6 for Dh5,500. I wait for the launch of new iPhones every year and I love to grab it first thing," said Mohammad Ghulamhazad, an Afghan businessman. Ghulamhazad is one of thousands in Dubai who have already got their most coveted object within the first few days of its launch. Among the earliest buyers is Mohammad Tayyeb, who purchased iPhone 6 on September 20 and can't take his eyes off it. "I can't explain the feeling of having it first among friends. It's a matter of prestige and pride. I just love the feeling and the phone is really amazing," said Tayyeb, who paid Dh5,000. The prices have come down from the first two days and are expected to go down further by the weekend. "I always wanted Apple to build a big screen iPhone and now that they have launched it, I couldn't wait to have it. I love the feel and speed of iPhone 6Plus and I can't stop admiring it. I know the prices are going down but I couldn't wait any more," said Sher Nai, a Chinese tourist, who bought iPhone 6 Plus 16GB for Dh6,000 on Monday. All variants of the new iPhones are readily available in the electronics market in Deira but the prices vary depending on the memory size of the phones as well as the warranty. "The demand for the new iPhones, mostly the iPhone6, has been unprecedented. We sell around 80 to 100 units per day in retail and many more in wholesale as well. Most of our customers are tourists from Russia, Africa, China and Eastern Europe," Khaleel Khudadost, a sales executive at Royal Cell Phones near Baniyas Square, said. Interestingly, the response to 6 Plus with a screen size of 5 inches, which was eagerly awaited, hasn't been great. "There is not much demand for iPhone 6 Plus, I guess it is because the size is new for iPhones and people are still not confident. Also, the price is a bit high. Probably when the price goes down there could be a better response," said a salesman at Ali Dahery Electronics who has sold more than 1,000 phones already. (c) 2014 Al Nisr Publishing LLC . All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |