Every new iPhone launch brings customers willing to queue for hours and spend thousands of dirhams on Apple’s latest devices. The arrival of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in UAE stores on September 18 was no different. But with smartphones lasting longer, the cost of upgrading every year is worth a closer look.
Apple’s latest iPhone 18 Pro starts at Dh5,099 in the UAE, while the Pro Max starts at Dh5,499. Buying a new phone every year can add up quickly, even if selling or trading in the old one helps bring down the expense.
At the Dubai Mall Apple Store on September 18, BTR spoke to customers about what prompted them to upgrade. Some buy a new iPhone every year, while others wait two or three years. Camera improvements, battery life and even the colour of the new models were among the reasons they gave.
Annual Upgrade
Buying the latest iPhone has become something of a tradition for Muntazir Abbas. The Pakistani customer arrived at Apple’s Dubai Mall store at around 4:30am on September 18, having taken a day off work to collect his new iPhone 18 Pro Max. He chose the burgundy model with 512GB of storage, but he wasn’t buying just one.
“I bought a total of four phones actually,” he said. The other three were for his parents and sister.
Abbas has been using Apple products for around ten years and has remained loyal to the brand, not just because of its devices but also its customer service. He also praised the way Apple manages its launches and handles customer service.
When asked how often he upgrades, his answer was immediate: “Every single year.” This year’s camera improvements, battery performance, speed and new design gave him more reasons to make the purchase.
Rameez, another Pakistani customer at the store, shares that enthusiasm for Apple’s annual releases. He has been using iPhones for ten years and also buys a new model every year.
He arrived at Dubai Mall at 3am to collect the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro Max in Burgundy. He was particularly drawn to the camera and colour, while keeping up with Apple’s latest releases was another reason for his annual upgrades.
The Cost of Upgrading
Replacing a premium iPhone every year can add up to a considerable expense. At the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s starting price of Dh5,499, buying a new phone at the same price every year for three years would cost Dh16,497. Keeping one device for those three years would cost Dh5,499, a difference of nearly Dh11,000 before resale or trade-in values.
Whether that extra spending is worthwhile also depends on how the phone is used. Someone who regularly takes photographs or shoots videos may appreciate the latest camera improvements, while others may find little reason to replace a device that still meets their everyday needs.
Choosing to Wait
Diyab Imran, a Pakistani customer, prefers to keep his iPhone for two or three years before upgrading. He was moving from an iPhone 15 Pro Max to the latest iPhone 18 Pro Max, choosing the burgundy model with 1TB of storage.
“Not every year, I give it a gap for maybe two to three years,” he said. Imran had been waiting for Apple to introduce a red colour option, but the camera improvements also influenced his decision. Having skipped two generations, he felt the changes were worth upgrading for.
Shanoop Saleem, an Indian customer from Kerala, was upgrading from an iPhone 16 Pro Max. The larger screen, battery, camera and new design appealed to him, although he acknowledged that the improvements between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 were not particularly substantial.
“From the 17 to the 18 doesn’t really seem that much of a big jump,” he said.
Smartphones are Lasting Longer
Consumers around the world are holding on to their smartphones for longer than they did a few years ago.
According to Counterpoint Research, the average global smartphone replacement cycle reached 43.4 months in 2023 before easing slightly to 43 months in 2024.
The research linked longer replacement cycles to inflation, economic uncertainty and relatively modest improvements between smartphone generations. It projected that the cycle would gradually shorten to 40.4 months by 2029.
However, a separate Counterpoint report published in August 2026 suggested that rising memory and component costs could push replacement cycles closer to four years.
With software updates and hardware improvements helping phones last several years, customers may feel less pressure to replace them as frequently as they once did.
The Value of an Old iPhone
Selling or trading in an older device can help reduce the cost of upgrading. Through Apple’s UAE trade-in programme, customers with an eligible iPhone 13 or newer model can receive between Dh640 and Dh3,260 in credit towards a new purchase, depending on the device and its condition.
According to Apple’s website, an iPhone 17 Pro Max can fetch up to Dh3,260 in trade-in credit. A customer buying the latest iPhone 18 Pro Max at Dh5,499 could therefore pay as little as Dh2,239 after trading in their older device, provided it qualifies for the maximum value.
Newer iPhones generally command higher resale values, although customers who keep their devices longer also avoid the expense of upgrading every year.
Source: Khaleej Times