Video: 5 Uzbeks kick off iPhone X vigil in Dubai

It's going to be a long wait for these five men.

But 20 hours or so won't be a problem for them - as long as they become the first to get their hands on Apple's newest smartphone cum mega hype machine.

"We've been here since 12 noon [on Thursday]," Murod, who flew all the way from Uzbekistan along with Shaxzod, Abdurauf, Shomaxkam and Otabek, told Khaleej Times while entering the fifth hour of their wait in front of the Apple Store at the Mall of the Emirates.

All of them are guaranteed to be among the first to buy the iPhone X in the UAE, Apple's 10th-anniversary device.

And they beat out last year's Customer Number One, Ahmed, who came in from Saudi Arabia and started his wait at 10pm.

Sales start at 8am tomorrow at Apple Stores, including those in The Dubai Mall and Abu Dhabi's Yas Mall. The UAE was also ahead of the United States.

Apple's most advanced flagships, but are also the most expensive in its class: they come with Dh4,099 and Dh4,729 price tags. And sentiment towards them was still divided among Dubai customers.

"I'd like to [get the iPhone X], but I think it's too expensive," an Indian expat told Khaleej Times late on Wednesday at a major retailer.

"But we'll see; I've always been an iPhone user."

Paul, a Filipino call centre employee who currently uses an iPhone 6, says he would definitely buy - but he won't queue up.

"I think the features are worth the price," he said.

During the iPhone 8 launch on September 23, a good number of those who bought also declared they would also show up for the iPhone X.

It will be interesting to find out how all this pans out: while Apple late last week had assured that the device will be available in stores, they "encourage [customers] to come early".

alvin@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai