Kerala man travels to Dubai to buy Apple iPhone ahead of India launch, and this is not the first time
PremiumThis was not the first time the Kochi-based Apple fan did such a thing.
Dheeraj Palliyil, a 28-year-old cinematographer from Kerala, bought two iPhone 14 Pro Max units from Dubai before its official release in India. This was not the first time the Kochi-based Apple fan did such a thing. It was his fourth trip to Dubai to purchase an Apple iPhone before anyone else in India. Dheeraj, Creative Director of Dare Pictures, will purchase an iPhone 14 Pro while he is in Dubai through September 24.
Since Palliyil pre-booked his phone, he didn't have to queue for hours. The team from iStyle was there to receive him and hand over the coveted phone as soon as the store opened. Store manager Ahamed Hassib confirmed that Dheeraj had come every year to buy the latest version of the iPhone.
He made the trip for the first time in 2017 with the iPhone 8 launch, and then again in 2019 and 2021. He had no desire to wait. Passion, frenzy, and dreams are what it's all about, according to Palliyil. Sometimes, people have to spend a bit extra for their passion and dream, Palliyil told Khaleej Times. Dheeraj bought the phones from iStyle at Mirdif City Centre.
Dheeraj arrived in Dubai by flight on September 15 in the evening, and arrived at the store the next morning. He spent Dh11,048 (around ₹2.4 lakh) for two iPhone 14 Pro Max models with 512 GB and 256 GB of storage, respectively. Additionally, he paid Dh799 (about ₹17,000) for each AppleCare+ plan for the two iPhones.
Dheeraj travelled to the UAE, paying nearly Dh1,900 (around ₹41,000) in airline and visa expenses. The Steve Jobs admirer said that he had done this in honour of the co-creator of the iPhone. While he was not bothered by the money he had to spend, he was even willing to reschedule all his work to go to Dubai.
While he could have travelled to Singapore, Hong Kong or even the US to get the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Dheeraj claimed that he had picked Dubai instead because of his attachment to this nation. It certainly doesn't bother iStyle. When Apple releases yet another new iPhone, it hopes to serve him once again.
