Dubai: Smartphones will again be the main growth driver category this year also along with the new launches and the reduced prices for previous models, followed by laptops and televisions.
Nadeem Khanzadah, head of omnichannel retail at Jumbo Group, said that smartphone sales, which used to be around 40 per cent growth rate, are down to around 20 per cent last month as buyers are waiting for Gitex.
After the official drop in prices of Dh400 for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus after the announcement of iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, retailers said that sales are doing well.
iPhone 6 is now available for Dh2,199 for the 16GB model, Dh2,599 for the 64GB model while the iPhone 6 Plus is available for Dh2,599 for the 16GB model and Dh2,999 for the 64GB model.
According to a report by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the UAE, Apple’s iPhone 6 has become the most commonly used smartphone in the UAE during the second quarter of this year.
The device has 4.9 per cent of total handsets registered on UAE networks.
Smartphones control 67 per cent of handsets registered on the UAE’s networks.
Omar Abu Shaban, general manager for Plug Ins, said that smartphones have become the staple of the show again. Some Chinese brands treat the event as the stepping stone to showcase their devices.
“There will good uptake of iPhones as retailers will have enough stocks to meet the demand prior to the new Apple phones launch,” he said.
Apple’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus will be launched in the UAE on October 10. Retailers are expecting to run out of stocks within hours of launch.
Steady starter
Mahesh Chotrani, assistant vice-president of Jacky’s Electronics, said that apart from Apple, Samsung is going aggressive on S6 Edge Plus and Note 5 as they need to compete with Apple devices.
“Note 5 has always been a steady starter and I have seen during the last three events the rise in sales for Note 5 comes during the show,” he said.
Khanzadah said the demand for Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and Note 5 is growing after Samsung adjusted the offers and not the prices.
Samsung has reduced its prices for S6 Edge Plus and Note 5 and retailers have added good bundles to entice buyers.
Neelesh Bhatnagar, CEO of Emax Electronics, said that pricing on the previous smartphones will be very attractive and customers will go for the stepped down models in a big way.
Sony Z5, Huawei Mate S and Lenovo Phab Plus are some of the new models apart from some Chinese brands.
“We are confident of brisk sales for Huawei Mate S and we are doing some activities with the promoters at the stall,” Khanzadah said.
Many other brands have also reduced the prices apart from the value-added bundle offers.
