iPhone 5 prices sink as iPhone 5S launch buzz gets louder

With rumours about an imminent launch of the upcoming iPhone 5S getting louder, the price of iPhone 5 in the UAE has begun to weaken, sliding by about 19 per cent in some cases. The Apple Store UAE retails the iPhone 5 at Dh2,599 for the 16GB variant, with a promise to dispatch the device within 24 hours. On the other hand, the price of the 16GB iPhone 5 at major retail stores across the country, where one can buy the device off-the-shelf, averages about Dh2,749. That’s the amount you’ll have to shell for a 16GB iPhone 5 if you walk into Sharaf DG, Axiom Telecom, or Jumbo Electronics. However, starting today, one of the UAE’s largest retailers,Carrefour, is offering the still-hot-selling Apple device for a price of Dh2,479, plus a Dh250 Carrefour Coupon, which brings the net price of the device down to Dh2,229. The price of Apple’s smartphone held remarkably stable even after the launch of a slew of smartphones from competing brands such as Samsung Galaxy S4, BlackBerry Z10, HTC One, and Sony Xperia Z. However, with rumours about the new iPhone 5S (or iPhone 6, as the case may be) getting louder with each passing week, sales and prices of the iPhone 5 have finally begun showing weakness. In fact, there are now plenty of other online retailers in the UAE, especially Dubai, offering the 16GB iPhone 5 at a discount to the iStore’s official suggested retail price of Dh2,599. While the Carrefour deal, along with the Dh250 coupon (and 247 Carrefour MyClub points) works out to be the most value-for-money deal (according to us), there are other online retailers in the UAE that are offering the device for a lower price (but without the coupons/vouchers etc.). GiftBag.ae , for one, is offering the iPhone 5 for a retail price of Dh2,449.98, Shafqa is retailing it for Dh2,469, it can be had at eDubbuyfor Dh2,475, and Geegzy is offering the same for Dh2,479. A number of other retailers are offering it for Dh2,499, including Arush,SpendWisor, DealPuss, MyGSM, and Silver Vision Trading. While the Carrefour price-cut is reportedly temporary (until June 5, 2013), the price-reductions on most other online retailers seems permanent, and suggests that a new iteration of the iPhone will soon be unveiled and dealers want to push out old stock to make way for the new device. Previously, rumours have suggested that the iPhone 5S is coming sometime in July. In addition, the iPhone 5 is getting some serious competition from the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4, both of which are now available in UAE stores. Emirates 24/7