The UAE has long displayed an affinity for the latest cutting-edge technology but the success of products such as Apple's iPhone Duo is not guaranteed.
Orders for Apple's first foldable phone will begin on October 16, starting at Dh8,499 ($2,300) for the base model and potentially costing as much as Dh13,600 for a model with more storage.
Those prices are at the higher end of smartphone costs in the UAE.
Still, many experts believe the iPhone Duo will sell well in the Arab world's second-largest economy, recognising nuance in Apple's pricing decision in the foldable sector.
UAE-based technology analyst, product reviewer and content creator, Mohsin Khan, known on social media platforms as Emkwan, is optimistic about Apple's ability to sell the iPhone Duo in the country.
“I actually think the UAE is one of the markets where the iPhone Duo makes a lot of sense,” he told The National from Cupertino, California, where he travelled to see the launch of the product at Apple headquarters.
“There's such a strong appetite here for premium technology and people tend to adopt new devices quite quickly. The UAE has a large base of existing iPhone users as well, so I think there will be a lot of curiosity around an iPhone that feels different from what we've had the last few years.”
Mr Khan said it will initially be seen as more of a premium and aspirational product. “More broadly, the interesting thing to watch for is whether Apple can take foldables from being a quite niche category and make them feel mainstream.”
He said the price wasn't as high as he and other reviewers had expected. “It's similar to what other brands are charging for their folding phones,” he pointed out.
Mr Khan said the iPhone Duo looks and feels good, and will hold its own against the competition.
“The thing that stood out immediately was how refined and premium it felt,” he said. “Opening it up and suddenly having that much screen size while still carrying an iPhone-sized device is one of those things that photographs and videos don't completely communicate.”
Liz Lee, associate director at technology research firm Counterpoint, agreed on the pricing.
“Pricing the iPhone Duo just $100 above the Galaxy Z Fold8 looks like a bold move by Apple, even if it means sacrificing some margin,” she said. “It'll leave consumers eager and waiting early on, especially if supply is much tighter than expected.”
Apple enthusiast and Dubai maritime electronics executive Jimmy Grewal, who has the largest collection of rare Apple products in the Middle East, said he plans to buy an iPhone Duo when it is shipped over next month.
Well-versed in Apple product history, Mr Grewal said the iPhone Duo brings back memories of Apple products from the early 1990s.
“It reminds me of Apple’s PowerBook Duo line that could convert from a portable to a desktop Macintosh in the same way the iPhone Duo can be used as a compact iPhone or a full-featured iPad mini-sized device,” he said.
“The PowerBook Duo 210 was the first laptop I ever owned, so I have a soft spot for the name.”
