UAE’s Etisalat to offer iPhone 12 pre-orders from Oct 16

UAE telecoms operator Etisalat will accept pre-orders for the new Apple devices iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 from October 16, with availability on October 23.

The new devices, which were unveiled by Apple earlier this week, are part of Apple’s new lineup of iPhones, which also include the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the iPhone 12 mini.

Featuring a new design, the new iPhone 12 models – all 5G devices – feature improved camera systems, better screen displays and the Apple-designed A14 Bionic chip, the fastest chip in a smartphone.

Etisalat confirmed that the availability for the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini will be announced shortly.

While the telco has not announced the prices at which it will be offering the devices locally, Apple priced the iPhone 12 starting from $799, the mini from $699, the Pro from $999 and the Pro Max starting from $1,099.

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Analysts praised the pricing strategy that may entice users with older, smaller iPhones to upgrade. They were also bullish on Apple’s ability to take on rivals like Huawei Technologies in China, the world’s largest smartphone arena, where 5G networks are considerably more built-out than in Europe and the US.

“The pricing dynamics are the killer app for the phone launch,” Harsh Kumar of Piper Sandler & Co. wrote in a research note.

“Pricing was lower than our expectation, which is important in the current global pandemic.”

Cheaper devices may help increase Apple’s installed base of devices, driving further growth of more profitable services, he added.

With inputs from Bloomberg