Apple launched its latest lineup of iPhones and smartwatches on Friday, with fans grabbing the latest devices from New York to Tokyo and from Sydney to Dubai.
Enthusiasm peaked in the Dubai Mall on Friday morning, with fans queuing for hours outside its store. At 8am, the doors opened and finally it was a new iPhone day for many in the UAE.
“I came to Dubai Mall yesterday around 5pm… I had to wait for long hours to grab the new iPhone but I am happy,” said Dubai resident Sulaiman Kazhunthammal, the first buyer of new iPhone at Apple’s Dubai Mall showroom.
Mr Kazhunthammal, who hails from the South Indian state Kerala, bought the iPhone 11 Pro. He said he was impressed with the technology and new features of the phone.
“Features are very impressive and it is one of the strongest phones ever.”
The latest iPhones - the 11 Pro and the 11 Pro Max - are covered in the toughest glass ever put on a smartphone and are protected against everyday spills including coffee and soda and can resist water up to four metres in depth for up to 30 minutes.
With a 14.7 centimetre screen, iPhone 11 Pro will start from Dh4,219, while the top-end of the lineup, the iPhone 11 Pro Max (16.5cm screen), will cost Dh4,639.
For Sharmili Gunashekran, a dentist and an Indian tourist, it was a rewarding moment after a wait of more than six hours.
"I am in Dubai with my husband to celebrate our anniversary. Our friend convinced us to buy a new iPhone and we waited patiently in queue and bought two iPhone 11 Pro Max," said Ms Gunashekran, who is currently using iPhone 8 and is a big fan of big screens.
For customers looking for a relatively cheaper option, Apple is offering the iPhone 11.
“This is my first iPhone ever... and I am using the newest model. I am not sure when it will be available in Baku so I flew to Dubai with my father to buy it,” said Huseyn Ali, who bought the device.
Industry analysts say the lower cost iPhone 11, priced at Dh2,949 and Dh230 cheaper than the budget-conscious iPhone XR rolled out last year, could help boost sales and be the best-selling model in the Middle East.
"Like the XR, it will outsell its pricier siblings. It's a great phone at a pretty good price and a solid update for anyone using an iPhone 8 or older," Abbas Ali, managing editor of TechRadar Middle East, told The National on Wednesday.
However, zeal was not the same as the last year in Dubai Mall, when there were comparatively longer queues seen outside the Apple Store.
Tech analysts say this year has more emphasis on hardware rather than design, leading to muted fervour.
