Indian buyers fly to Dubai for iPhone 18 Pro as price gap makes UAE cheaper, shoppers say

Dubai: A handful of Indian Apple enthusiasts have opted to fly to Dubai to purchase the new iPhone 18 Pro, as the price difference has made the UAE a cheaper option for them, even after accounting for travel and visa costs. At the Apple Store launch in Dubai Mall on Thursday, some Indian shoppers were among the pre-order customers, according to Apple Store staff, but most appeared to be UAE residents.

Mumbai resident Aman Solanki admitted that the price difference was enough to make the trip to Dubai worthwhile, estimating that it was still cheaper for him to buy the phone in Dubai than in India, where taxes add to the price. Solanki, who planned to buy three Pro Max devices, said he was saving around ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 on the new iPhone.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are Apple's latest premium smartphones, featuring upgrades in camera, performance, and battery. They are powered by Apple's new A20 Pro chip and come with a 48MP Fusion Main camera that has variable aperture, along with new Pro controls in the Camera app. Available in Burgundy, Glacier, Silver, and Black, the Pro model starts at Dh5,099 in the UAE, while the Pro Max starts at Dh5,499.

Converting the UAE price to Indian rupees, it works out to roughly ₹132,000, around ₹33,000 cheaper than India's official starting price of ₹164,900 for the Pro and ₹38,000 less than the Pro Max's ₹179,900 starting price.