iPhone 16 Series Price in India vs Dubai: What Buyers Must Know
Thinking of buying iPhone 16 abroad? Learn about Dubai vs India pricing, warranty limits, FaceTime restrictions, and how import duties affect costs.
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For Apple fans in India, deciding whether to buy a new iPhone locally or from abroad is a frequent dilemma. Two popular choices for overseas purchases are the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States. Social media often features comparisons of iPhone prices in India versus these countries, but these comparisons rarely consider local taxes that vary significantly. In the US, taxes differ from state to state, while Dubai’s listed prices exclude GST. This article focuses on buying the iPhone 16 series in Dubai, weighing its advantages and disadvantages.
The price of the iPhone 16 series in India starts at Rs 79,900 for the base model, while in Dubai, the same model costs AED 3399, approximately Rs 81,000. The iPhone 16 Plus is priced at Rs 89,900 in India and AED 3799 (around Rs 91,000) in Dubai. For the Pro version, the price in India begins at Rs 1,19,900, whereas in Dubai it is AED 4,299 (roughly Rs 1,03,000). The Pro Max model costs Rs 1,44,900 in India compared to AED 5099 (about Rs 1,21,000) in Dubai.
The main benefit of purchasing the iPhone Pro models in Dubai is cost savings, which can be as much as Rs 30,000 depending on the variant. However, no such savings exist for non-Pro models; they may actually be more expensive in Dubai.
When buying the non-Pro iPhones in India, authorized retailers often provide discounts, exchange offers, and bank promotions that help reduce the price. These incentives are generally unavailable when buying from Dubai. Customers purchasing abroad miss out on trade-in deals and card offers available in India.
Warranty conditions also differ. Although Apple provides an international warranty, service options and parts availability might be limited outside the country of purchase. Repairs may require shipping the device back, with additional costs for handling.
FaceTime use may be restricted on iPhones bought in Dubai due to UAE regulations against video calling apps.
Import duties could apply when bringing an iPhone from Dubai into India, increasing the overall cost. Some buyers try to avoid this by purchasing devices without packaging, but this involves trade-offs such as reduced resale value or warranty complications.
