UAE smartphone week: Apple’s iPhone Duo foldable, Oppo Find X10 Pro Max and vivo V80 all launching now

Dubai: Apple will begin offering its new iPhone Duo in the UAE markets on Friday. It is the company's first foldable phone, with prices ranging from AED8,499 to AED13,599, in a move that represents a major shift in the company's strategy to enter the foldable phone market, amid exceptional demand for pre-orders. The iPhone's launch comes after the initial quantities available for online reservations ran out within minutes of pre-orders opening on October 16. This led to the extension of delivery dates for some new orders in the UAE to January 2027. Apple confirmed that its stores in the UAE will allocate the devices available on launch day to customers who completed their online orders in advance, without allowing direct purchase for visitors without a reservation, due to the limited quantities available. The phone features a 7.6-inch foldable internal screen and a 5.4-inch external screen, along with an A20 Pro processor, a titanium body, and two 48-megapixel rear cameras. It also supports artificial intelligence technologies and multitasking. The device is available in four storage options, starting from 256 GB at a price of 8,499 dirhams, rising to 9,349 dirhams for 512 GB, 11,049 dirhams for 1 terabyte, and reaching 13,599 dirhams for 2 terabytes. On the other hand, Oppo announced the launch of its new Find X10 series in the UAE, with prices starting from AED5,199 for the Find X10 and reaching AED6,399 for the Find X10 Pro Max. Pre-orders will begin on October 30 and continue until November 5, before the phones are officially released for sale on November 6, 2026. The launch also includes the markets of Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Both models are available with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. Pre-order customers will receive an Oppo Watch S and Oppo Enco Air5 Pro earphones, along with a 12-month screen protection warranty and a 12-month extended warranty, for a total value of AED2,099. Both phones feature an 8000mAh battery, supporting 80W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. The standard model has a 6.59-inch screen, while the Pro Max boasts a 6.78-inch display, both with a 144Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 3600 nits. The vivo V80 has officially arrived in the UAE markets, as of October 21, a move that reflects the importance of the UAE market for global technology companies, amid increasing competition in the smartphone sector supported by advanced imaging technologies and artificial intelligence.