Some buyers in Deira are willing to pay up to Dh300 more for immediate delivery of a burgundy iPhone 18 Pro Max rather than wait for it to be shipped by a distributor.

Apple’s UAE online store lists the 512GB burgundy model, which retailers say is the most popular version, at Dh6,349.

On October 6, Apple’s website showed an estimated delivery window in Dubai of October 28 to November 4 for this model.

Mohammed Mustafa, a mobile phone retailer in Deira Market, said buyers were paying more for the burgundy version than for other colours.

“At present, only the burgundy colour is seeing this level of demand,” he said.

Mustafa added: “The premium buyers are paying will probably fall as more stock enters the market. A new colour for a flagship model usually attracts considerable attention at first. The same thing happened last year with the orange iPhone 17 Pro.”

Apple delivery delays drive customers to Deira Market

Obaidullah Jasser, a retailer at Gargash Market, said Apple’s delivery times were one reason some customers were turning to local shops.

“At the Apple Store, the current delivery window for the 512GB burgundy model has been pushed back to October 28 to November 4,” he said.

“The model is also listed on several online shopping websites, but orders can only be placed during brief booking windows that open periodically,” he added.

Buyers can weigh the extra cost of an immediate in-store purchase against the waiting time for an online order.

Prices at local shops vary depending on the available colour and storage capacity. Retailers advise buyers to confirm the price, storage capacity and colour with the seller before making payment.

Retailers said the black, silver and ice-coloured models were selling at prices closer to Apple UAE’s official rates.

iPhone Duo to launch in late October

Apple has also unveiled the new iPhone Duo.

Pre-orders in the UAE are scheduled to begin at 4pm on October 16, with the official launch set for October 23.

Retailers expect the launch to draw more customers to Deira’s mobile phone markets this month.