Some shoppers have been waiting outside the mall since 4am to get their hands on the latest gadget
Photos: Shihab/KT
Apple Store workers lined up at the entrance and counted down to 8 a.m. as they welcomed the first shoppers inside the Apple Store at Dubai Mall.
There were long queues outside the store as hundreds of people lined up to get their hands on the brand new iPhone 14 which went on sale in the UAE today.
Abdul Rafeeque, an IT manager at a media company, was the first person to buy the brand new device after securing an 8am reservation. “I bought six iPhone 14 Pro 256GB,” the beaming Indian national said. “I had reservations for two iPhones in the morning and four for the evening. But when I asked the staff if I could get it all back now, they agreed. He said he was buying several devices for his friends and family.
“Although I’ve been to every launch event since 4S, this is the first time I’ve been on the front line,” he said. He shared footage from launch events he’s attended in the past.
Rafeeque had logged into multiple devices to get the first date when bookings started.
Some people had been waiting since 4am to enter the mall, despite having reservations. Dr Mohanad was one of them, purchasing four devices. “I arrived at 4 a.m. and waited for the mall to open at 7 a.m.,” he said. “I’m buying three iPhone Pro Max and one iPhone Pro for me and my family.”
The Dubai resident had arrived with a bag full of cash for his purchase. “I wanted to pay cash,” he said. “So I brought enough with me.”
Apple has priced iPhone 14 at Dh3,399, iPhone 14 Plus at Dh3,799, iPhone 14 Pro at Dh4,299 and iPhone 14 ProMax at Dh4,699 in the United Arab Emirates United.
Osama Azhar was in the store to buy ten devices for all his family members. “My whole family is crazy about Apple products,” he said. “So, I buy for each of them.”
Friends Mohammed Mehzin and Haseeb Abdul Lateef had also waited on their respective devices to get the first reservations. “It was me who got it,” said Mohammed Mehzin.
The businessman is going to replace his iPhone X which he has owned for five years. “I think I will give the old phone to my younger brother,” he said.
Kaja Mohamed was another person buying for his younger brother. He bought two iPhone 14 Pro Max and two Apple Series 8 watches. “I’m going to India today and wanted to give my brother a present,” he said. “So I decided to buy a new phone and monitor him and myself.”
The United Arab Emirates is among the first countries where the American tech company has rolled out its latest smartphones which were unveiled on September 7.
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