New iPhone hits UAE next month

The new version of Apple's handset will hit UAE shops within six weeks, retailers say, but only on the grey market.

The new iPhone 4 will soon be available in the Emirates.

The iPhone will be on sale in the UAE within six weeks, retailers say. However, Apple's new handset will only be available on the grey market since neither Etisalat nor du have yet said when it will be officially released here. The iPhone 4 was announced on Monday, and it will be available in the US and several other countries on June 24. "Maybe 30 per cent of our customers ask about the iPhone 4," said Mohamed el Yamlalm, a salesman at E-city in Al Wahda Mall. "We'll get it earlier [than the official release], about three weeks after the US release, but we don't know yet." The store currently sells the iPad, Apple's tablet computer, which has also yet to be officially released by Etisalat or du. The new phone, which offers features such as video calling and a sharper display, will be made available in more countries more quickly than previous models. It will first be offered in France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US on June 24. By the end of July it will be on sale in 18 more countries, and it will be available in a total of 88 countries by the end of September. Baher al Hakim, who runs a web application company, said he planned to purchase the iPhone 4 as soon as it was offered through official channels. "With this announcement it will put [Apple] a generation ahead of all of them. Other platforms were almost catching up and with this, it's put them way ahead," he said. Other iPhone 4 fans seemed less patient, preferring to purchase the phone abroad. "I'll bring it from outside as soon as I can," said Khalifa al Qamzi, an engineering student at the higher colleges of technology in Abu Dhabi. "I've had my present phone for about a year, and it's great for when you are bored, for playing games and the applications." [e-mail]