Iconic gadget among top three fast-moving items on souq.com
Apple's iconic tele-com device iPhone hits the market via more and more online shopping platforms in the UAE, with web retailer Souq.com being the latest addition after other online stores such as Alshop.com and Aido.com.
"Currently we have a growing number of merchants and resellers listing around 250 iPhone 4s on our platform," Ronaldo Mouchawar, chief executive officer of Souq.com, told Gulf News. "The effect is that the price has come down very fast."
From an initial asking price of around Dh6,000 for the "factory unlocked" 32GB version of the iPhone 4 prices have now reached a range of Dh3,300 to Dh3,900 at Souq.com.
From an initial asking price of around Dh6,000 for the "factory unlocked" 32GB version of the iPhone 4 prices have now reached a range of Dh3,300 to Dh3,900 at Souq.com.
"The demand is huge, people are buying the phone continuously," Mouchawar said. It is currently under the top three best selling item on Souq.com, he said.
Trading platform
Souq.com does not sell by itself but provides a trading platform, bringing sellers and buyers together and handling the ordering and payment process. Resellers act either on a private or commercial level.
Customers are coming mostly from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and a few from Saudi Arabia.
The iPhone stock offered by them originates mostly in the US, Mouchawar said. He hasn't experienced any issues with Apple, he added. "We work closely with the copyright owner as we did with the iPhone 3G and the iPad."
But the grey market channel can also have its traps.
The iPhones are sold on an "as is" basis, Mouchawar said, which means they do not carry the manufacturer's official warranty and will not be serviced by Apple's authorised dealers and shops.
"But resellers offer their own warranties on the phone," Mouchawar said.
"But resellers offer their own warranties on the phone," Mouchawar said.
Souq.com yesterday forecast triple digit growth for its business by the end of 2010. The online retailer reported strong growth in 2009 and plans to offer new services in the future, Mouchawar said.
The company has increased its presence since its launch in 2005 and now serves more than 500,000 active buyers and sellers in the region. It says it records 1.5 million unique visitors and 25 million page views every month.
Reception problems
Apple Inc came clean on Friday about an embarrassing software glitch that overstates network signal strength in its hot-selling iPhone, as complaints mounted about the phone's wraparound antenna.
Apple admitted its signal strength miscalculation dates back to its original 2007 iPhone. It promised to fix the glitch in a few weeks, but did not directly address concerns that its antenna design causes reception problems for iPhone 4, its newest phone.
Apple's apology — a relative rarity from the company known for its marketing savvy — marked the third time in less than three weeks it had to apologise to customers of iPhone 4. "Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong," Apple said in an open letter to customers. Since the iPhone 4 hit stores on June 24, consumers have complained about cellphone reception problems when they hold the phone in a certain way. Even while just standing in one place, a rapid decline in the number of signal bars can be observed depending on how the phone is gripped.
Apple has already been sued by iPhone customers in at least three complaints related to antenna problems on the iPhone 4.
The company has increased its presence since its launch in 2005 and now serves more than 500,000 active buyers and sellers in the region. It says it records 1.5 million unique visitors and 25 million page views every month.
Reception problems
Apple Inc came clean on Friday about an embarrassing software glitch that overstates network signal strength in its hot-selling iPhone, as complaints mounted about the phone's wraparound antenna.
Apple admitted its signal strength miscalculation dates back to its original 2007 iPhone. It promised to fix the glitch in a few weeks, but did not directly address concerns that its antenna design causes reception problems for iPhone 4, its newest phone.
Apple's apology — a relative rarity from the company known for its marketing savvy — marked the third time in less than three weeks it had to apologise to customers of iPhone 4. "Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong," Apple said in an open letter to customers. Since the iPhone 4 hit stores on June 24, consumers have complained about cellphone reception problems when they hold the phone in a certain way. Even while just standing in one place, a rapid decline in the number of signal bars can be observed depending on how the phone is gripped.
Apple has already been sued by iPhone customers in at least three complaints related to antenna problems on the iPhone 4.
Credits: gulfnews.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment