Gitex Shopper: BlackBerry Passport at half price before midnight

Latest update: Just a few hours remaining for Gitex Shopper to end and here’s how you can still buy a BlackBerry Passport for half the price. While the device is still not available across the counter in with any of the retailers, pre-bookings are being accepted with promised delivery a week later.

The device is still priced at Dh2699. Many retailers are offering a discount of Dh300 or bundle offers with the device thereby bringing the price down to Dh2399.

Among the more attractive deals for the Passport is the one offered by Emax. The retailer is offering a free return air ticket, valued at Dh1,000 to Dh1,500, free when you pre-book the device – thereby bringing down the price of the Passport to about 1,200.

“There are many who are interested in the Passport. We have already received about 1200 preorders,” a staff at the BlackBerry stand at the Gitex Shopper told Emirates 24|7.

It’s not just the Passport that is selling fast. A series of discounts offered on BlackBerry’s other models are driving sales with several retail outlets. The Z3 for example has dropped by almost Dh400. The cost Q10 too has dropped massively since the beginning of the show.

Earlier report

The BlackBerry Passport will not be available at Gitex Shopper. However, to have any chance of getting your hands on the phone in the next two-three weeks, one needs to book it at the Shopper, and then pick it up from BB's Dubai Maill store. Dh2,699 for 32Gb plus 128GB expendable.

It’s the last day at Gitex Shopper today and prices are have dropped by almost Dh100 to 150 on various products as retailers try and clear stocks of older models, even as traders reported a 30 per cent increase in sales.

For those who have been waiting to get the final day clearance deals, there is more good news. Several older models and stocks meant for clearance are also being offered as a ‘Buy One get one free’.

(PIPc: Joseph George)

One such deal that was launched yesterday was on several Microsoft Lumia devices. Following the transfer from Nokia, Microsoft had a very subdued presence this Gitex Shopper. The first few days at least saw more of bundle offers and marginal discounts on prices. The last few days saw at least two of Lumia – including the Lumia 520 - devices being bundled as package deals.

On many other products including smart phones and laptops there is a marginal drop in prices to the tune of Dh100 to Dh150.

(PIPc: Joseph George)

But expect nothing more. In fact, if you are keen on getting a particular model of product don’t wait until the last hour. Expect stocks of some popular models to run out by afternoon. On Friday for example, there was no availability of the iPhone 6 Plus models, at least of the 64 and 128 GB models at Etisalat.

Majority of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sale are happening through the telecom operators and through their post-paid monthly plans. “We sell about 60 to 70 units daily at this particular stand,” said a staff at the Etisalat counter. “Silver has emerged as the popular colour, followed by gold and grey. We usually run out of silver models by 2pm, at least on the iPhone 6 plus models,” he added. According to him many of them who are opting for the despite not having seen a working model even once.

“Will you believe me if I say that there is not a single working model of an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus on display at the whole of the Gitex Shopper. Not a single retailer is displaying the product. Everyone who is buying it just do so either based on what they could have seen online or in the media or elsewhere,” he added.

(PIPc: Joseph George)

BlackBerry Passport on the other hand is still on pre-orders and deliveries of the third installment are scheduled for a week later. “There are no ready units available. Pre-order now and you will get it a week later,” a BlackBerry official said. There is already a Dh250 discount being offered on the Passport. Emax is also offering a flight for free with the device.

Meanwhile there was further reduction in the pricing of the Q10. What started at Dh1050 at the beginning of the show on Friday dropped to almost Dh780. At select retailers at the venue.

Meanwhile, retailers told Emirates24|7 that Friday witnessed almost 25 to 30 per cent increase in sales compared to other days at the Shopper. “The crowd was almost unmanageable. There was no space to walk. That’s probably because Saturday being Eid al Adha, everyone wanted to come and finish the shopping today,” an official at Emax said.

There were also some incidences where agitated visitors picked up arguments and fights with al already exhausted sales and promotion staff.

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