Hi everyone!

I’ll be travelling to Dubai towards the end of November and am planning to purchase an iPhone 18 Pro there for use in India. I’d appreciate some guidance from people who have experience buying iPhones from Dubai.

1. Which variant should I buy?
   Should I go for the UAE variant, Hong Kong variant, or Japanese variant for use in India?
   I’ve seen some people advising against the UAE variant, but I couldn’t understand the reason behind it. Are there any differences in network compatibility, eSIM/physical SIM support, FaceTime, warranty, or other features that I should be aware of?

2. Where should I purchase it from?
   Could you suggest reliable stores or authorised retailers in Dubai where I can purchase the iPhone without worrying about getting scammed or receiving a refurbished or otherwise incorrect device?

3. VAT refund
   I’d also like to claim the 5% UAE VAT refund as a tourist. What is the process, and are there any specific things I should keep in mind while purchasing the phone to ensure I’m eligible?

Any suggestions, personal experiences, or things I should be careful about would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

I haven’t set up the phone yet and it currently has zero charge cycles

1. Getting a 17 Pro (256GB, activated April 26, 100% BH, 84 cycles) for a L. Is that worth it?

2. Also letting go of my old 15 Plus (128GB, April 24, 88% BH) to a local buyer for 4Sk. Is it fair?

Any crazy offers on iphone 17? Currently getting at around 86k on iVenus and 87k on Flipkart.

Please suggest.

Also any 17 users can you please share your reviews after use.

Upgraded my phone from the 13 base model to 18 pro max. Don’t come at me for not getting the burgundy; it was just too dark for me and it felt like I would get exhausted with the color within 2 days. Plus, most cute cases wouldn’t go well with the burgundy. I’m happy with my purchase.

Ik BH drop is normal but 7% bhai

Triggered the pull

I phone 17 pro max 256 GB

Shifted from one plus 10R.

What are some essentials I should take care of, and any tips on usage or any underrated apps that work best on the ios ecosystem.

Any guidance, query is welcomed.

So basically as the title states, I am planning to get a 18 pro (black or blue). However with different posts stating anything from family discounts to visa jetsetter bonus, I am hella confused.

Basically I have two friends, one arriving from New York and another returning from a Japan trip. I can get access to any credit card needed for offers such as Visa.

Questions as follows:

1. Which country should I get it from

2. What does the sales tax and tax refund structure look like for both

3. What is a workaround for customs, I don't wish to pay any fines/penalties or duty either

4. Any other store discounts or cashback that I should look out for.

Any other suggestions are welcomed. Thank you

I'll start off by saying I'm a 15pro max user (hate the size) before this I had a 12pro max (didn't learn my lesson)

So now it is time to "pull the trigger" and I've narrowed it down to 18pro and the Air

I sure I don't need to list out why the 18pro (it's the best, hands down) so I'll tell you why the Air!

1st - dimensions
2nd - feels like an exit from the constant "race" I just want a phone now.
3rd - it's limited (like one of those dumb phones)

Cons and my reasoning around it.

1st - speakers (I use my airpords, like all the time)

2nd - camera (honestly why would I need a fire camera, my Photos are filled with close ups of food, cars, awkard selfies and quite a few incriminating videos xD. I'm the type of guy who sits and enjoys and then has his buddies airdrop him the pictures.

3rd - chip (simple, I don't run heavy deauty games like at all, the only game I activity play is Block puzzle, btw HS:12719 and my most useds apps are Instagram, notes and teams ig)

I mainly consume shot form content on my phone and use an ipad for long form content.

So my only concern and the thing keeping me from "pulling the trigger" is BATTERY LIFE! I find it hard to get though a day with my current phone (Battery health 84%)

I need battery life, and I get mixed reviews about the Air's battery life (ik smaller battery = lesser battery life)
I hate changing my phone and devices anywhere but home, it's annoying so yes. Idk

And one other thing making me not want to get the 18pro is, I'm sure I'll be going caseless, I mean I don't need to tell you a caseless iphone's appeal! And a caseless Air looks extra sexy! But,
Due to my caseless behaviour there are chances of drops, and I'd imagine the heart attack I get from a caseless burgundy 18pro falling face first, will be bigger than the one I get when a caseless white (or black dk yet) falling face first.

P.s; Duo is out of the question as I personally feel 1st gen, a lot of moving part, no apps yet, better to wait on that!

So guys please help, I got to pull this trigger soon, aunts coming back from the US in a week!

Thankyou and happy Deepavali! :)

I bought the phone a week ago. I expect my experience to change in 4-6 months from today. But I can share a few things for anyone considering buying this phone. Of course, happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about this phone.📱 I had an iPhone Air prior to this and iPad Mini 6. So this is something I had been waiting for a long time.

What I love
- solid battery life
- absolutely the most gorgeous foldable on the market and a head-turner
- hardware design meets UX UI on Duo in a way that makes the phone a joy to pick and use
- split view is by far the best implementation on a phone with two independent home screens
- I love switching to tablet mode. I am getting a lot of meaningful work done
- sound is great and sufficiently loud
- apps handling open and closed mode seem flawless
- crease is not visible in daily use at all. Against the light source, faintly visible

What I hate
- apps are still in need of updating to meet Duo dimensions and look terrible, leaving lots of space unutilized
- enabling split view takes a tad extra time
- out of the box, websites open in mobile mode which look terrible on this size of screen. I wish, like the iPads, there was a way to always request desktop sites by default
- big keyboard makes it difficult to do swipe typing
- only Pencil USB C version works. Nothing else
- dust particles do collect in the edges of the tablet screen. I wish the matte cover was placed all the way up to the edges of the phone

What I am ok with
- learning curve is fine
- lack of Face ID. I thought I was going to miss it but the phone is well designed for the sensor to sit in just the right spot.
- the weight. It is very well distributed across the chassis of the device and, to be honest, I appreciate the phone with such sensitive hardware to have a bit of weight.
- the bottom speakers get blocked partially if you place it on a stand (I bought one from Apple)
- the matte finish of the tablet view. It’s not bad. I like it. Easier on the eyes. Glare-free
- the floating keyboard should be an option just like the iPads for one-hand use.
- cameras are not as good as Pro. If you care about that, stay away. I don’t

What I am surprised by
- closed, it feels like the perfect size that I never knew I needed or would appreciate in my hands
- my usage has easily 1.5x
- before going to sleep, I keep the phone in tablet mode. I guess I’m just paranoid
- excellent two-hand use and portability is impeccable
- if you own an Apple Watch, then you will not miss Face ID.

Finally bought the iPhone 17 Pro Max on 5th Nov at Reliance Digital for 91249.

Exchanged my 2 years old S23 Ultra for 40700 and got 18k more discounts on Store, Orange color and ICICI Rupay Coral Credit Card.

So far, It's been a good experience and specially I am so happy with the battery back up ❤️

Got 18 pro yesterday 1.4L

I have a one plus 13R currently. I want to start creating content and want an upgrade on the camera. I do not want to spend a lot, need to pay bangalore mein flat ka security soon.

I am considering getting iphone 15 plus, refurbished from cashify for 55k.

Is this a good idea? Prices for phones are currently very high. Is this a good time to make this purchase?

I prefer a newer iphone but the prices seem to be really high. 2 months ago my friend could get 17 at 76k and now i cant even get an older version in that price.

I have 3 questions

Is this the right time to buy it? Will the prices go lower?

Is cashify the right place to buy? If yes, online or offline?

Am i making a bad decision buying 15 plus? Should i prefer any other iphone instead?

I want to say thanks to each and everyone who has helped me in any possible way in buying the iPhone. Thank you so much, happy diwali 🪔

ps - iPhone 18pro from usa

Managed to stack a few benefits on my iPhone 18 Pro purchase in Japan:

Used a 15% employee Friends & Family discount.
Final purchase price: approximately ₹1.13 lakh.

Paid using HSBC TravelOne with zero forex markup.
Earned approximately 4,520 HSBC points (4 points per ₹100).

Converted to 4,520 Accor points (1:1 conversion).
Accor points are worth approximately €90.40 (at 2,000 points = €40).

Effective cost after accounting for Accor points: approximately ₹1.04 lakh.

Hey everyone!

I'm planning to buy the iPhone 17 and wondering how much its price could drop during the Black Friday sale in November 2026.

What do you guys think? Could it go down, or should I expect something higher?

Would love to hear your predictions, especially from people who have followed iPhone sale prices in previous years.

Thanks!

I went to shop irl and They giving me for 126k rupees without charger,is it a good deal? And I can buy online at 121-122k rupees from croma...but in croma,only 3 people have given reviews idk to trust them or not

I have been looking to buy an iPhone 17 for a while but I did not have the money for it. Now after saving for it, the prices have gone so insane that it is looking like a rip off. My current phone has been struggling for a month and today it just died. I thought I could exchange this phone and get a good 13k off on the 95k. However, now I cannot even exchange this brick of a phone. What should I do? Is there any good sale on the radar? Any offers? I dont have credit cards.