Apple iPhone Duo launch: Diehard fans take flights, buy multiple units amid limited supply

Hello, Duo

The big day is finally here. After weeks of anticipation, fierce meme battles by competitors, the foldable called Duo will be available for die-hard Apple fans in UAE stores today.

Pre-orders opened on October 16 to much demand, and Apple has announced there will only be ‘limited’ devices available in store, which makes it even more of a fierce race.

Who will be first to get their hands on the phone in the UAE? Will fans arrive from different parts of the world, as they did for the iPhone 18 Pro? Khaleej Times is on the ground to capture it all. Stay tuned!

Apple’s most expensive phone ever

The highest-priced variant of the Duo could probably get you through a quarter of the year’s rent. Take a look at the UAE prices for Apple’s most expensive iPhone:

• Dh8,499 for 256GB

• Dh9,349 for 512GB

• Dh11,049 for 1TB

• Dh13,599 for 2TB

iPhone = lifestyle

The iconic Apple symbol has taken over entire houses, malls, and communities. This is “no normal upgrade” and UAE residents want to be there as the company marks a new era, with a never-before-seen device for the tech giant.

The foldable phone is not new in the market, but it is a first for Apple — something its competitors have not ceased to note. Cue the memes:

Money, money, money!

The prices may be high, but it is no hurdle for UAE residents, who were willing to pay up to Dh2,500 extra to be the first to get their hands on the new device when pre-orders for the iPhone Duo began last week.

It’s what shapes Apple; the fierce loyalty that customers bring, and the race to be the first to own a coveted new phone.

Click, click: Duo in every sense

Slightly wandering away from the iPhone trend of having three cameras, Duo is duo in every sense; it has two screens, and it has two cameras, with no telephoto lens.

The outer screen gets a single 12MP selfie camera, while the inner screen uses an under-display camera, something Samsung used on the Galaxy Z Fold3 to Fold6 before switching back to a punch-hole last year.

Security near Apple store

The Apple Duo launch is an event which UAE malls gear up for in full swing. Security has been deployed at Dubai Mall’s Apple store, ready to guide visitors and ensure everything goes smoothly.

15 minutes to go

Mohammed Shaka is the first in the queue. The man has a history with iPhone — as is evident with the phones in his hands.

“From generation one to iPhone Duo”, he said, holding up to 6 devices.

Shaka was also the first customer in through the doors of the store for the iPhone 18 pro launch, and the first customer for the iPhone 17 series launch.

Queues form at Dubai Mall

One man, 53 Apple devices 

Mohammed Shaka, the first in the queue, has 53 Apple devices, he said. While there are foldable phones from other brands already, “I wanted to see what Apple has done with it,” he said.

We are four siblings here, two brothers and two sisters, and we have bought eight devices in total, two each,” said Mohammed Shakaa, who came around 5 am.

This is the third time he has been first in queue for an iPhone launch.

5 minutes to go!

The iPhone Duo will launch at 8am, and the crowd could not be more thrilled. Take a look at the hype in store today:

Launched!

The clock has struck 8am, and iPhone Duo has officially hit UAE stores. The first customer walked in amid applause all-round.

Holding up his generations of devices, Shaka was all smiles as he displayed his Apple legacy to the cheering crowds.

Photos: First customer in the limelight

Not just one Duo, but five

They don’t stop at one! Afsal, a Keralite expatriate residing in Dubai, bought five iPhone Duos.

Pre-booked in 3 minutes

Moideen Athar Gawai, a Deira resident who works as a sales executive, said he pre-booked two phones at 4.03pm, when the orders began at 4pm on October 16.

“I also received the iPhone 18 Pro Max on its first day, but this is something very new because it is Apple’s foldable phone. I am excited to use it and see what different features Apple has added. The camera clarity also looks very good,” he added.

Buying 42 iPhone Duos

Dubai residents Raihan and Mohammed Shabeeb will be picking up a whopping 42 iPhone Duos. They have already picked up 25 from Dubai Mall, and are heading to Mall of the Emirates for the rest.

The duo have been buying iPhones for the last 14 years. During the iPhone Pro launch, they bought a staggering 76 devices, spending around Dh550,000 in total on the devices.

First to receive phone in store

Zakir Ali and his brother were the first ones to receive the phone in the store. They bought the white, 256GB model, and bought six phones in total.

“This is something completely new from Apple. It is different from other phones because it is Apple’s first foldable phone. I am very happy to receive it first in the UAE. I bought the iPhone 18 on its launch day too, but this is different. Alhamdulillah, I am very happy. Thank you, Apple,” he said.

Dh600,000 for 42 iPhones; 58 devices left to collect

Raihan and Mohammed Shabeeb said they had booked more than 100 Apple Duo devices and collected 42 on launch day. They said they will be paying around Dh600,000 for the phones they will receive today.

The two have been buying Apple devices in bulk since the iPhone 11 launch, receiving more than 1,000 devices over the years.

“We ordered mixed colours and different storage versions. The demand is too high right now. People are already selling some devices at around double the price, and even the 256GB version is going for around Dh25,000 in the market. We are collecting the phones from different locations, including Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and Al Ain. These phones will go everywhere, not only stay in the UAE.”

Apple enthusiast travels from Uzbekistan to Dubai

Abdullah, who travelled from Uzbekistan, landed in Dubai yesterday to collect three Apple Duo devices. He said he would return home in two days, taking the phones with him.

“My brother and cousin are very excited, so I am showing them the phones on a video call now. They wanted to see Apple’s new foldable phone as soon as possible, and I am happy that I could get them for them and myself.”

Fourth-time iPhone launch customer

Faisal Rahman from Multan, Pakistan, bought five Apple Duo devices for himself and family members, two 512GB models and three 256GB models, in blue and white.

“I feel absolutely lucky to get them. This is my third time being here on launch day. I also got the iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 16 and iPhone 14 on their first day. I am very, very excited to get Apple Duo because it is something completely new from Apple.”

11-year-old son books six iPhone Duos for parents

Manoj and Nandini’s 11-year-old son booked six Apple Duo devices for them, said they had been waiting for Apple to enter the foldable-phone market for nearly two years.

“We have been waiting for Apple’s foldable phone for around two years. Every time a new iPhone launched, we kept wondering when Apple would finally bring out a foldable model. It was not announced, so we just continued buying the phones and waited.

When Apple Duo was finally launched, we tried to book it ourselves but could not get through. Our 11-year-old son managed to book six devices for us. We have been waiting a long time for this.”

Tourists travel from Russia to pick up iPhone Duo

Saimon, who travelled from Russia with his mother, said they arrived in Dubai yesterday specifically to buy Apple Duo devices. They were waiting for their collection slot and planned to purchase four phones before returning to Russia in a few days.

“We arrived yesterday and are waiting for our slot now. We plan to buy four phones today. We will be here for a few days and then take them back to Russia. I am very excited to be among the first people from Russia to use Apple Duo. It is Apple’s first foldable phone, so I wanted to get it as soon as possible.”

Watch: First look at iPhone Duo screens

Watch:

Staff pose for iPhone Duo photo

It’s not just the customers who are caught in the Duo fever, but the staff too, who posed for a photo in the brand-new foldable.

Apple Duo could create opportunities for gaming: Russian engineer

The passion for the iPhone Duo is real — but not everyone is looking at it from a personal-use viewpoint.

Artemii Golovinov, a Russian software engineer, said Apple Duo could create fresh opportunities for mobile gaming and game developers.

“I am passionate about mobile gaming. The state of mobile gaming is not great at the moment, but I think there is potential for better games on this phone. I see Apple Duo as a good try and a step in the right direction. I have not used iPhones for a very long time, I have only owned one before, and that was a gift, but I am interested to see what this device can do.”

3 friends bought 17 iPhone Duos

Three friends, Indian expats Suhail Mohammed, Sahir Ali, and Junaid Moideen, bought a total of seventeen pieces between them.

Watch: Shaka shows complete collection of 53 iPhones

Mohammed Shaka, the first customer in queue for the launch, brought generations of Apple to an Apple event. A briefcase filled with 53 iPhones, one from each generation, displays his long history with the tech giant.

Watch the video, here:

Photos: Dubai Mall turns into Apple hotspot

iPhones sell like….well, iPhones

iPhones sell like hot cakes? No, iPhones sell like iPhones. The craze that Apple inspires may be unparalleled, as customers keep at it, with it seeming like hardly anyone’s taking home just one phone — everyone’s got multiple.

Sayed Fawas, an Indian expat, bought four pieces from Dubai Mall; he didn’t stop there, he also grabbed two from Mall of the Emirates.

Zakeer Ali who was the first to receive the Duo in store, is joined by his friends, Ashi, Haseeb, and Abdul.

Safety first

As Apple’s new launches are a day that tech enthusiasts and casual shoppers alike wait for, crowds could quickly become chaotic in previous years, with buyers jostling people around in their eagerness to be the first to buy. But in recent years, venues have enforced strict rules, security, and even barricades to keep the fervour high but safe.

It’s a wrap!

We’ve reached the end of our live coverage for the Apple iPhone Duo launch. It’s been an exciting morning for faithful fans of the brand, who showed up at stores as early as 5am for the tech giant’s most hyped — and most expensive at Dh8,499 — phone yet.

Manufacturing complexity and high demand meant availability of devices was limited to begin with. Apple had confirmed this earlier this week, and this was evident in how quickly the queues cleared up in-store today.

As with previous launch days, Dubai saw:

• Tourists fly in from as far as Eastern Europe,

• Customers pick up multiple devices (one pair as many as 100 foldables for about Dh600,000),

• The return of diehard Apple fans like Mohammed Shaka, who came armed with his complete collection of generations of iPhones (53 in all), and

• Brand-new Duos popping up on the resale market for as much as Dh25,000 within hours.

For the first time, the Apple launch event was split over two days this year. Khaleej Times will continue to keep you updated on the latest from the tech giant, but for now, it’s a wrap!

Some iPhone Duos fetch resale prices of up to Dh25,000

Some iPhone Duo units are fetching prices of up to Dh25,000 on the resale market, according to sellers, who say the limited number of pieces available on the market has added to the demand.

Uzbek national Mohammed Salimov flew into the UAE on Thursday to ensure that he got his hands on the highly-coveted device on the first day. “I ordered eight units of the 2TB model,” he said. “The market rate is Dh13,599. I have already been offered up to Dh25,000 for it from here in the UAE. That is more than Dh11,000 over its original price. But I am not selling it here. I will take it back to Uzbekistan where people are willing to pay more because the phone has not been released there.”

Read the Khaleej Times report for the full details on how sellers reportedly made profits of up to Dh30,000 in just one hour.

Source: Khaleej Times