iPhone 3Gs in the UAE, why NOT

I'm not a mobile geek so please excuse me if I don't use the right lingo. The point of this post is the price of the new iPhone now being launched by Du.

It appears to be the very latest Apple model--great, as we sometimes have to wait months for such things. On checking the price of the top model offered by Du I get Dhs 2869. On checking the same model on the Apple website, I get a price of US$ 199. Comparing the prices in the same currency, the Du model sells for a whopping 2.6 times more!

That put a big damper on my enthusiasm. The fact that Apple products always cost more here has effectively destroyed most of my enthusiasm for any new Apple or Mac releases. But this huge surcharge seems way over the top.

Crackberry Blackberry Storm in UAE

EmBiz 24/7 reports the launch of the BB Storm in UAE:

"Etisalat is the first telecom operator in the Gulf to supply the ultra-advanced touch-screen business mobile...The handset is priced at Dh3,150 plus data package from etisalat."

So with all the latest gadgets coming into the UAE, like the iPhone and now the BB Storm, what do you think is better in terms of functionality, value-for-money and user-friendliness?

iPhone 3G launched for Wasel prepaid customers

Etisalat has finally launched the iPhone 3G for Wasel, according to an EmBiz report:

...the iPhone 3G 8GB device will be available in black colour for Dh3,121, while the 16GB device will be available in both white and black colours for Dh3,570, said a press statement.

Etisalat is also offering free 250 MB monthly data package for six months and one free Wasel SIM Card with every device, providing return benefit of over Dh2,000, effectively bringing down the device cost to a little over Dh1,000.

Would you buy the iPhone with this new deal? Is it value for money?

iSmoked up, perhaps

I dont think iPhone is all hype and marketing. It has a million listed features, and an additional non-listed one. It's an integral ingredient if you are in the mood for an iSmoothie.

Try the iPhone in Dubai

It's not the first iPhone in Dubai, but it's the first one that the public can demo as far as I know.

Since so many people are into iPhone, I figured many Community Blog readers would be interested.