It wasn't like last year's iPhone 7 craze, but Apple still continues to prod its loyal customers to line up.

The tech giant started sales of the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus devices in the UAE at 8AM on Saturday, and the crush wasn't as usual because of the looming 'X'-factor in a few weeks' time: the high-end iPhone X.

Still, it was enough to attract about 100 or so loyalists - a level way below Apple launch standards - to queue up at the Apple Store in The Dubai Mall. Sales also started at the same time at Apple's two other official outlets in the UAE in Dubai's Mall of the Emirates and Abu Dhabi's Yas Mall.

The outcome wasn't surprising - there was a lukewarm response to the iPhone 8 launch in other parts of the world yesterday - because customers were being patient for the iPhone X, which is scheduled to come out on November 4.

That didn't matter to a number of people who were keen to make sure they secure any iPhone that comes out.

Ibrahim Alchamsi, who pre-ordered the iPhone 8 and is from Al Ain, was the first in the UAE to get his hands on not one, not two - not even five - but 12 iPhone 8 devices.

"For me and my family," Alchamsi told Khaleej Times.

His wife and two adorable daughters joined him in the spotlight as they became an instant celebrity of sorts. The elder of his two kids even played around with the sealed iPhone boxes while waiting to make the payment, stacking them up as if they were building blocks.

And it seems everyone in his family is literally an iPhone user. Pointing at the younger of his two kids, he added: "she has an iPhone as well".

The No.2 customer, Bakhit Saeed Alsubousi, made the trek all the way from Abu Dhabi. And even though he bought just one iPhone 8, he was more than ecstatic to have it.

"Since the first iPhone," Alsubousi told Khaleej Times when asked on when he started using the Apple flagship.

"I love the iPhone because I feel it's more premium than other phones," he added.

And not to mention that it's also "hard".

"Even if it falls down, it won't get broken easily."

Both men said that they will also be on hand for the iPhone X, scheduled to be launched on November 4.

"Inshallah, I will be able to place my pre-order on [October] 27," Alchamsi said, referring to the start of pre-orders for the device.

Alsubousi, meanwhile, expects what everybody else anticipates: a larger, wilder crowd for the iPhone X compared to what happened today.

"Everyone is expecting the new iPhone X, because [Apple] changed it a lot," he added, referring to the major upgrades to the upcoming device.

With the iPhone 8 launch now in the history books, the stage is now set for the iPhone X - and we'll find out how this pans out in six weeks' time.

Both the 4.7-inch iPhone 8 and 5.5-inch 8 Plus come in 64GB and 256GB capacities, and have price tags of Dh2,849/Dh3,479 and Dh3,249/Dh3,879, respectively. - alvin@khaleejtimes.com

Latest from the Apple Store in Dubai:

8:45 am

Bakhit Saeed Alsubousi, second to get the new iPhone 8 in the UAE at The Dubai Mall Apple Store.

Source: Khaleej Times