Some iPhone Duo devices that arrived on the UAE market on Friday, October 23rd, are reaching prices of up to 25,000 dirhams on the secondary market, according to sellers. They attribute this demand increase to the limited number of available units.
According to some reports, some sellers managed to make a profit of up to 30,000 dirhams in just one hour. Mohammed Salimov, a citizen of Uzbekistan, arrived in the UAE on Thursday to purchase the sought-after gadget on the first day of sales. He stated that he ordered eight 2TB models. According to him, the market price is 13,599 dirhams, but he has already been offered up to 25,000 dirhams in the UAE, which exceeds the initial cost by more than 11,000 dirhams. However, he decided not to sell it there but to take it back to Uzbekistan, where they are willing to pay more since the phone has not yet been released there.
Meanwhile, a reseller who runs a mobile shop in Deira reported a profit exceeding 30,000 dirhams within an hour of receiving the devices. He said he bought four 256GB phones and sold each with an markup of 8,000 dirhams, bringing him about 32,000 dirhams in an hour.
The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable iPhone, marking the company's entry into the foldable device market. This phone does not feature Face ID but uses Touch ID integrated into the side button. The Duo is Apple's most expensive model. The initial prices for the phones are as follows: 8,499 dirhams for 256GB, 9,349 dirhams for 512GB, 11,049 dirhams for 1TB, and 13,599 dirhams for 2TB.
Mohammed Sharif, owner of Extel Mobiles, expected high demand and believes prices will continue to rise. He noted that the supply of devices in the market is extremely limited, which, in his opinion, guarantees high demand and buyers' willingness to pay a premium. He reported that only three devices were secured that day, and the next batch is expected in November, making the gadget a coveted item as only a small number of people own it.
Sharif compared this situation to the launch of other brands' devices. He mentioned a similar scenario during the release of the Samsung foldable phone last year, when people were willing to pay an extra 8,000 dirhams per unit. Similarly, the Huawei foldable phone was also very popular at its launch because it was also released in limited batches, and buyers were willing to pay twice as much.
One private reseller, who wished to remain unnamed, reported booking over 30 units that day and having already sold 14 of them. He stated a profit of approximately 7,000 dirhams per device and that people are willing to pay more. He currently holds ten devices in reserve, confident in further price increases.
He added that consumers are interested in foldable phones and are eager to acquire them. However, those placing orders now are being given a delivery date of January 2027, which has further intensified demand and expectations of further price hikes in the coming week due to the shortage.