Apple Watch in UAE as early as April 25 — probably

Dubai — The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were officially launched in the UAE about a week after its global roll-out last September — a far cry from the longer period people here had to wait during Apple’s previous launches and apparently highlighting this market’s growing importance to the company.

So it won’t be any surprise if the Apple Watch followed the same route.

Launched late on Monday Dubai time, Apple’s first foray into the wearable devices segment is seen to — once again — disrupt the market in the way only the world’s most valuable company can do.

And the wait can’t be that long; while orders will be taken starting April 10 and the official roll-out will begin in nine countries — Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK and the US — on April 24, at least one UAE retailer says it could possibly offer the device in the country the very next day, according to rounds made by Khaleej Times.

“Unofficially, by April 25... we’ll aim to have inventory as soon as we get a hold of it. This should be on or around April 25,” said Omar Kassim, founder of online marketplace JadoPado.com. “I think the Apple Watch will be an interesting one and may take a bit of time to take off, but it should do well.”

Sean Connor, managing director of Plug Ins, shared a similar view: “There’s been no official word from the local office in Dubai. However, we expect it to launch in the UAE at around the same time.”

On the other hand, Neelesh Bhatnagar, CEO of Emax, gave a slightly longer waiting time.

“I expect that [the UAE] will be part of the second wave of the launch... and I expect that to be within three weeks,” he said.

“I also expect that the Apple Watch will command a very healthy market share... and it will be successful with its amazing features; its launch will make the wearable devices segment even more attractive.”

On the other hand...

It has been reported that makers of wearable devices “hope” that the Apple Watch would hike consumers’ interest in this segment.

So now that the device has been officially unveiled, what does the competition think?

Apparently, they believe that the competition will heat up more.

“The wearable technology industry is a fast-paced and a constantly-changing sector that is still developing technologies that will change the way users interact with each other and the world around them,” said Gita Ghaemmaghami, marketing communications manager at Sony Mobile Communications Middle East and Africa, stressing that wearable technology is quickly becoming a driver of industry growth. “There has to be a consistent innovation to ensure that consumers get the best and latest. Sony pioneered smart wearable technology and that trend has been adopted by the market and many other tech companies.”

D.Y. Kim, president of LG Electronics Gulf, is looking forward to the challenge.

“We focus on continuing to perfect our products and delivering the ultimate consumer experience through our wearable technology that is the finest pairing of design and technology to help users stay connected. Each year we continue to invest in research and development to further advance our products and make sure we meet consumers’ ever-changing needs.”

Incidentally, LG’s Watch Urbane and Urbane LTE, launched at this month’s World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, won several awards at the show.

Elekta, meanwhile, is taking a good, close look at the Apple Watch.

“Apple’s smartwatch is one of many devices that we are looking at closely and such devices would change the consumer lifestyle and behaviour,” said Rajan Mathrani, managing director of Elekta Gulf.

“Similarly, we are also planning to roll out our versions of such devices the demand for which is expected to grow in the coming months... I could tell you that Elekta’s revolutionary products will be in the local markets this year.”

Yes, it’s a game-changer

“We believe that the Apple Watch will be a game-changer in the wearables category especially in the UAE,” said Mahesh Chotrani, assistant vice-president of Jacky’s Electronics.

He also pointed out that the device will attract the youth and anticipates that it will “do well” in the market. Niranjan Gidwani, deputy chief executive officer of the Eros Group, says there is excitement in this category and that investments in research and development continue to grow — mainly driven by Apple and Samsung.

“There is a visible excitement but success will be based on how the product integrates and benefits the UAE consumer,” he says.

“The smartwatch market has evolved much faster than the smartphone market where unbranded items took some time to enter. But premium brands like Samsung and Apple will always find a consumer profile that seeks quality technology and products at a premium price.”

In any case, expect — to some extent — a craze to build up as soon as the Apple-Watch-coming-to-the-UAE dates are confirmed.

“Apple has a strong track record for introducing appealing products that sets new standards and creates new demand... the Apple watch is sure to appeal to more than just the die-hard Apple fans,” Connor said.

And, as Kassim put it simply: “We’re incredibly excited.”

— alvin@khaleejtimes.com