All you need to know about the new iPhone X. Graphic News
All you need to know about the new iPhone X. Graphic News
All you need to know about the new iPhone X. Graphic News
All you need to know about the new iPhone X. Graphic News

At what price will the UAE fall in love with the new iPhone X?


James Langton
  • English
  • Arabic

By one measure, the new thousand dollar iPhone X is mid-market smartphone, positioned nicely between the Vsun Aqua Tough Dual Sim Smartphone at Dh199 and the Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley; yours for Dh57,000.

Others may look at the price and echo Steven Ballmer, the Microsoft CEO, whose initial verdict on Apple’s new product back in 2007, was: “There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.”

If consumers proved the world’s richest man hopelessly wrong as they rushed to spend US$500 (Dh1830), then what are the prospects for the new four figure iPhone X, which is fooling no-one with an initial price tag of $999 (Dh3,669) in the US, and creeps up to Dh$4,729 (US$1,287) with the 256GB option.

“Even at $1,000 It's going to be sold out for the rest of the year and it will be difficult getting it,” predicts Abbas Jaffar Ali, founder of the UAE tech website Tbreak.

“People will resort to grey markets and pay north of $1,500 for the first 2-3 weeks of launch. According to what I've read, Apple is only able to produce 10,000 units per day for the iPhone X. That's nothing.”

For Ashish Panjabi, a self-styled tech enthusiast with a background in electronics retail, the new products had a number of shortcomings.

In particular, he questioned the value of launching both the iPhone 8 and X models simultaneously, pointing out that buying the former might be interpreted in the UAE market as meaning you could not afford the Ten.

“I wouldn’t want to be the person boasting that I had just bought the iPhone 8,” he said.

Mr Panjabi also noted that many of the new features of the X were already available in other devices, and at a lower price. “A lot of people in the UAE have two phones and I suspect they might keep their iPhone 7 rather than get the 8 and upgrade their Android device.”

Neither Etisalat or Du, the country’s two phone networks, are advertising the iPhone X at present. A call to the Du customer service hotline revealed that the iPhone X will be ready for order on October 27 with delivery a month later, but with no word yet if the company will be offering discounts on handsets if accompanied by a postpaid package.

Both Etisalat and Du are also offering the all-glass iPhone 8, also launched this month, from Friday, with customers taking delivery on September 23.

Since launching the iPhone 6S three years ago, Apple has brought out three new models, while skipping an iPhone 9. The X – meant to be said as “ten” is a nod to the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone.

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Read more:

As it happened: Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone X launch

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Apple faces competition, both in terms of cost and features, from the new Samsung Galaxy Note 8, at DhDh3,399 and only a fraction cheaper than the basic iPhone X. Having solved its flammability issues, Samsung will have the first handsets available next week.

What owners will do with the now obsolete – at least in UAE terms – iPhone 6, 6s, 7, or even, for a few unfortunates, the iPhone 5, remains to be seen.

While Apple offers a recycling service in exchange for a store discount or gift card, the second hand market looks set for a boost, with Dubizzle, the online classified advertising site, listing five new pages of Apple phones in the last 24 hours.

Also launched this week are the Oppo A71, at around Dh700, and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 with a price tag of Dh2,600, all with considerably less fanfare and attention than Apple’s new offspring. As they say, other smartphones are available.

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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The 15 players selected

Muzzamil Afridi, Rahman Gul, Rizwan Haider (Dezo Devils); Shahbaz Ahmed, Suneth Sampath (Glory Gladiators); Waqas Gohar, Jamshaid Butt, Shadab Ahamed (Ganga Fighters); Ali Abid, Ayaz Butt, Ghulam Farid, JD Mahesh Kumara (Hiranni Heros); Inam Faried, Mausif Khan, Ashok Kumar (Texas Titans

Key facilities
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Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

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Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Lamsa

Founder: Badr Ward

Launched: 2014

Employees: 60

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: EdTech

Funding to date: $15 million

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now