Apple's foldable iPhone Duo launches in Dubai with massive queues and mega purchases by expats

Massive crowds gathered outside Apple Stores in the UAE, including Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, as Apple officially launched its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo. Tech enthusiasts and pre-order customers lined up to be among the first in the world to experience the landmark device.

Among the early birds was superfan Mohammad Shakha, who turned heads by bringing along a custom box showcasing his personal collection of 53 previous iPhone models. Shakha revealed that he and his siblings had booked eight units of the new foldable handset. The launch also attracted international tech buyers, with enthusiasts flying into Dubai from countries like Russia and Uzbekistan just to secure the device on day one.

Malayali expats lead massive spending spree
Non-resident Keralites in Dubai made waves with bulk purchases. A trio of friends — Suhail Mohammad, Sahir Ali, and Junaid Moydeen — collectively bought 17 units in one go. Meanwhile, local businessman Afsal picked up five devices. Taking bulk buying to another level, tech lovers Raihan and Mohammad Shabeeb spent AED 600,000 to pre-book 42 units of the premium handset.

Features, specifications, and pricing in UAE
Starting at AED 8,499 (approx. ₹2 lakh), the iPhone Duo is Apple's most expensive smartphone to date. The innovative device unfolds from a compact 5.4-inch smartphone screen into an expansive 7.6-inch tablet display, both featuring smooth 120Hz refresh rates. Powered by Apple's new A20 Pro chip, the phone offers a seamless Split View capability that lets users run two apps side by side.

The device is available in two colour options — Star White and Night Sky. Pricing across storage tiers is set at AED 8,499 for 256GB, AED 9,349 for 512GB, AED 11,049 for 1TB, and AED 13,599 for the top-end 2TB variant.

On the camera front, the iPhone Duo features a dual rear camera system with a 48MP main sensor and a 48MP ultra-wide lens. It also includes a 12MP camera on the outer display and an under-display camera on the inner screen. Notably, Apple has replaced Face ID with a Touch ID sensor integrated into the power button, omitted the telephoto lens, and gone completely cardless with eSIM-only support.