Only reservation were allowed but still people flew in to buy their devices
With the blink of an eye, its another year and another iPhone. This year its the iPhone 16 Series from Apple and we were at their flagship store in Dubai Mall for the opening. This year we got a range of device from Apple including the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. We also get the Apple Watch Series 10 and the new Black Apple Watch Ultra 2.
As only Apple fans with reservations were allowed in the mall, the queues were much smaller but that didn't stop people to fly in from countries like Egypt and Turkey to get their hands on an iPhone 16 device.
Apple superfan Ahmed Hamdy from Egypt flew to Dubai to get his hands on the new iPhone 16 Pro Max and when asked why he got the phone, he said it was because "its an amazing device" and he thanked Apple for making the phone.
Such craze for a device isn't uncommon in the UAE. The UAE is one of the first countries where the device is available on day 1. The list includes countries like India, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, France, Turkey and more.
Another UAE-based fan, Mehboob Sayed who got the iPhone 16 Pro Max Desert Titanium said he upgrades his iPhone every year "because it is now like a tradition".
A quick initial look at the phones and the colours of the regular iPhone 16 stands out. The Ultramarine and Teal versions caught our eyes the most but as we spoke to customers, we realised it was all about the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max in Desert Titanium.
The new Apple Watch Series 10 is stunning! and the Titanium version is even better thanks to being 20% lighter. The new display sizes on the Apple Watch makes a huge difference.
The 6.1" iPhone 16 starts at AED 3,399 for the 128GB model, with the 256GB and 512GB versions priced at AED 3,799 and AED 4,649, respectively. The larger 6.7" iPhone 16 Plus is available for AED 3,799, AED 4,199, and AED 5,049, depending on the storage option.
The newly-sized 6.3" iPhone 16 Pro is priced at AED 4,299 for the 128GB model, while the 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB versions are AED 4,699, AED 5,549, and AED 6,399, respectively.
For the giant 6.9" iPhone 16 Pro Max, prices start at AED 5,099 for the 256GB model, with the 512GB and 1TB variants coming in at AED 5,949 and AED 6,799.
In the accessories lineup, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 10. The 42mm aluminium version is priced at AED 1,599 for the GPS model and AED 1,999 for the GPS + Cellular model, while the 46mm aluminum variant is AED 1,719 and AED 2,119, respectively.
For the titanium models, only the GPS + Cellular option is available. The 42mm version with a sport band is AED 2,799, and with a Milanese loop, it's AED 2,999. The 46mm titanium version is AED 2,999 for the sport band model and AED 3,199 for the one with the Milanese loop.
Additionally, Apple launched the AirPods 4 (now with type-C) , which come in two versions: the standard model at AED 549 and a new model with active noise cancellation priced at AED 749.