Vending machines have been a staple of life for those on the move for many years.
A quick bottle of water and a packet of crisps from the push of a button can save vital minutes if there's a queue at the nearby shop.
In the UAE, it isn't just drinks and snacks that are handed out electronically - you can get gold bars from a machine at Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace hotel where tourists like to a take a little piece of the capital's glitzy side with them.
For phone users needing a SIM card, they could swiftly access the necessary goods via Etisalat vending machines located across the country.
Need a new phone as well? There's now a machine for that too.
Etisalat has brought the UAE's first self-service smartphone vending machine to Abu Dhabi.
Having partnered with Adnoc Distribution, the first machine is located at the Adnoc service station on the Corniche.
It will allow customers access 24 hours a day, and the process takes five minutes, according to Etisalat.
The vending machine provides a range of selected handsets and accessories for both Android and iOS. The National has contacted Etisalat for exact handset details.
To purchase a phone, customers have to insert their Emirates ID card, check the personal information on the screen, enter or modify the phone number and then select the phone and payment method which can be cash or credit card.
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World's most popular smartphone brands, Q1 2019
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1st: Samsung - Q1 market share 19.2% (down from 20.5% Q1, 2018). Bloomberg -
2nd: Huawei - Q1 market share 15.7% (up from 10.5% Q1, 2018). Reuters -
3rd: Apple - Q1 market share 11.9% (down from 14.1% Q1, 2018) . Reuters -
4th: OPPO - Q1 market share 7.9% (up from 7.3% Q1, 2018). AFP -
5th: Vivo - Q1 market share 7.3% (up from 6.1% Q1, 2018). Courtesy Vivo / Twitter -
6th: Others - Q1 market share 37.9% (down from 41.5% Q1, 2018). Bloomberg
