UAE telecom provider Etisalat has tweeted this morning that it will begin offering the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to its UAE customers starting September 26, which is just a week after Apple’s new smartphone becomes available in the US and other ‘launch’ markets.
In addition, Dubai-based du, the other UAE telecom services operator, reiterated that it will “continue to be the first to launch any new smartphones in the UAE”.
In comments to Emirates 24|7, a spokesperson of the operator said: “We understand the nature of the local market and its eagerness to be early adopters of newest global technologies.
"Therefore, we assure our customers that we will continue to be the first to launch any new smartphones in the UAE after evaluating the level of interest. "The launch will assure that early adopters will have a chance to be the first to purchase the devices.”
The official Apple Store in the UAE too is now displaying the new devices and maintains that they will be available for order on September 27. Apple is pricing the iPhone 6 starting Dh2,599 and iPhone 6 Plus starting at Dh2,999 in the UAE.
Apple yesterday unveiled two new iPhones, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, along with a much-awaited Apple Watch in an event in Cupertino.
Both etisalat and du have, in the recent past, offered new unlocked, SIM-free devices for free as part of multi-year packages to their customers, and customers are eagerly awaiting same deals this time around too.
While Apple’s new iPhones have, in the past, made a good run in the UAE’s grey market before they are officially launched here, that may not happen now with the new devices being promised within a week of their global availability.