On Friday morning, hundreds of UAE residents lined up outside Apple stores across Dubai. Some had slept in their cars, while others arrived before dawn. All of them wanted the same thing: the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max in their hands on day one.
The phone can be ordered online and delivered within minutes. Yet hundreds chose to queue up, some even sleeping in their car overnight to ensure they got their devices as early as possible.
For Pakistani expat Sadaf, buying the new iPhone on launch day has become a family tradition. She queued outside the Apple store with her brother's wife and their two-year-old niece to collect three devices. "We have been doing it for years, but we have still not cracked the code on how to get the first slot on the first day of launch," she said. "When the Apple Duo launches in October, we are planning to buy that as well. Maybe then, we will be able to get the first slot."
The queue is not an inconvenience. On the contrary, it is part of the experience, according to Dr Sarah Percy, Assistant Professor in Marketing at University of Birmingham Dubai. "For Apple's loyalists, the queue becomes part of the launch ritual, one where they can visibly express their devotion to the brand," she said. "Being among the first to own the latest model signals psychological value through identity, exclusivity and belonging, which extends far beyond the product itself."
She said that the waiting, the early morning alarm, the shared excitement with strangers, all of it becomes part of the story the buyer tells.
According to Dr Rumaila Abbas, Assistant Professor of Marketing at University of Wollongong Dubai, there is an "interesting" consumer-behaviour paradox here. "Normally, marketers try to eliminate waiting, but a visible queue can actually work in a brand's favour," she said. "Seeing others queue is social proof in its raw form. A line outside a store sends a silent message to everyone walking past that this is worth having. Research shows that people interpret others' willingness to wait as a sign of a brand's popularity, which in turn can raise their expectations of the product."
Dubai resident Hanal arrived with her family to pick up four devices — all upgrading from their previous models. They had all saved up for months to each pay for their own phone
"We decided as a family to upgrade," said Hanal. "When you have made the decision to buy, you might as well buy it on the first day before everyone has it." The family bought two burgundy, one black and one blue.
This sentiment of wanting to have it before everyone else seems to have been exacerbated by social media. Influencers and celebrities play a big role in turning a want into a need.
"Influencer and celebrity content amplifies the visibility of the latest model by positioning it among aspirational reference groups, which in turn increases the social desirability," Dr Sarah explained. "When this is complemented by visible queues, it can create an influential form of social validation where the product becomes culturally relevant, creating a desire to participate and act now."
Russian tourists Saiful Islam and Ive Sultana Molly timed their Dubai visit to ensure that they got to the country in time for the iPhone launch. “Since Russia imports the iPhone, it will be a few days before it becomes available on the market,” said Saiful. “So, we will be one of the first ones to have it there when we go back.”
The couple flew back to Russia on Friday itself.
According to Dr. Rumaila, for many consumers, the iPhone is more about belonging to the brand community than functionality. "During launch week, consumers are exposed to celebrities at Apple Park, creators discussing the new camera, friends posting their orders and hundreds of people queuing outside stores," she said. "Suddenly, the comparison is no longer between their current iPhone and the new one, but whether they want to be part of the social experience around the launch."
Every year, Apple releases a 'hero colour'. Last year it was orange. This year, it is burgundy. The colour is more than a design choice. It is a signal.
"Although burgundy as a colour may be associated with status and sophistication, a key driver behind the 'hero colour' is distinctiveness," said Dr Percy. "Using a recognisable colour such as this acts as an immediate and socially identifiable cue of owning the latest model, where the colour itself provides more than an aesthetic choice and forms a subtle status symbol."
If you see someone with a burgundy iPhone, you know they have the latest one; that is the point. So, how much of this is Apple's plan and how much is just human nature?
"Apple's annual product launch has continued to be an anticipated, yet deliberate brand ritual built around not only how the product looks and feels but how it is sold and experienced, driven by emotional and social value surrounding ownership," Dr Percy said. "Consumers amplify this social meaning through participation, sharing and early ownership."
