Dubai: With sales of the iPhone 16 opening, retailers in the UAE are adding an extra layer of incentive for Apple’s smartphone buyers through their assured buyback schemes.
Buying the 16 comes with the ‘assurance of 70-75 per cent value when you upgrade to the next phone’, said Rajat Asthana, Chief Operating Officer at Eros Group. “The assured buyback is new value add retailers are offering, which can make quite a difference in deciding what and when to buy.”
This is vital if the initial phase demand for the iPhone 16 has to go beyond Apple fanzines. Retailers have their eye on the vast pool of those potential buyers who had been holding back until they had a clear view of what the 16 can offer.
Combo offers for Apple are not so common as with other brands, as there is huge demand for the phones and not enough supplies to meet this in the beginning.
The range starts from Dh3,399 for a 128GB iPhone 16 to Dh6,799 for the 1TB Pro Max.
“We don’t want a situation where many buyers want to wait until the ‘Apple Intelligence’ updates come for the iPhone 16 from next month,” said a retailer. “The target is to get the iPhone 16 sales cracking from Day 1, which is September 20.
“The buyback is essentially a guarantee that buyers’ interests are taken care of from Day 1.”
In the resale market, older iPhone handset prices have typically held up well. So, in that regard, new and existing Apple users are more or less covered. What the assured buyback scheme sets up is for these buyers to go in for new models as and when they come out.
“In the last 2 years, there has been indications that smartphone users were taking longer to upgrade,” said a tech analyst. “Apple did well to keep pricing consistent for the 16. Retailers will want to use that and their buyback offers to speed the sales process up.”
The next lot of devices is expected to move quickly, with shipments arriving in the coming week
Based on initial booking trends, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the clear leader in the UAE. That’s been the case ever since the ‘Pro’ series launched with the iPhone 11. (There was earlier the ‘Plus’ range with the 2014 iPhone 6 series, which was the time Apple brought in a bigger screen.)
According to Vikas Chadha, CEO of Jumbo Electronics, "For the first time, we are offering iPhone 16 customers additional flexibility. They can now enroll in the assured buyback program and trade in their devices even after two or three years, with buyback values decreasing over time. This gives customers more control and the ability to upgrade when they are ready." (The Jumbo buyback extends to the new Apple Watch series too. Buyes have the option to receive up to 70% of the iPhone value and up to 60% for Apple Watches within 12 months.)
Sales are going to be much bigger compared to the 15 due to the new features and better battery life specially in the higher tier models Pro and Pro Max.
Bookings and Day 1 response
Based on retailer and wholesaler feedback, iPhone sales in the initial hours are all going as per the script. "Most definitely, sales are going to be much bigger compared to the 15 due to the new features and better battery life specially in the higher tier models Pro and Pro Max," said Saleem Javed, CEO of Touchtel. "The initial reaction to the 16 has been overwhelming."
If anything, the 'Desert Titanium' version is a 'standout favorite'. "We have already sold out our pre-order stocks and, in fact, have been overbooked," said Chadha.
