# iPhone



## spartan (Apr 28, 2009)

I am currently an iPhone user in the states and sadly am quite addicted to it. 

I was hoping to find out about the iphone service in Dubai. What are the monthly plans like? How much? Is the data package included? Is there 3g? Visual voicemail? 

Are there any apps with the Dubai/UAE market as a target audience?

Any info would be greatly appreciated. 

My work is going to be providing my cell phone service when I start but I highly doubt that it will be iPhone service. Trying to figure out if I will have to/should/need to get a secondary line.

Thanks


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## DCtoDubai (Oct 26, 2008)

I just moved here recently with my iPhone 3g. It was ATT locked but I found a guy in the electronics, mobile phone section of Deira who unlocked it for about 50 bucks. It works great. In terms of 3g and Edge, far better that the states I'm from DC with great 3g coverage, but heavy use). The edge is usually so quick that I don't bother with the 3g at all to save power.

Etisalat is the official provider for the iPhone and they have a variety of packages. I use a pre-paid plan that is a little less that 500AED a month, plus phone. 

Visual voice mail, I don't really know about. It turns out that not a lot of people use voice mail at all here. Under the Etisalat program, you pay each time you retrieve it, so it might get a little costly. I get a text with the missed call. Serves the purpose well.

Apps all work fine. Most have been created for the US and European market so the directories are stocked with those locations. Locations services works well to find you, but no directions are available. 

At the end of the day, I brought mine, but wouldn't buy one here.

Your work will give you a monthly stipend or allowance. You can usually spend it however you want, though most employers don't pay enough for the data unless you are getting a blackberry.

Hope this helps.

Tim


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## spartan (Apr 28, 2009)

Thanks for the info, Tim. It seems like cell phone service, in general, is quite a but more expensive in Dubai compared to the US. 

Maybe there is a market for iPhone apps that needs to be explored. Someone could make quite a but if money doing it.


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## DCtoDubai (Oct 26, 2008)

If I could tether the phone to the laptop it would be worth it. That 500AED gets me 10 gigs of data flow which would be nice to use.

I don't know if the cell service is that much more. It is all the extras here that always kill the cost. Like having a shirt starched is 25% more.

Having UAE apps would be good. I am a bit surprised that Time Out doesn't have one.

You will learn though that your cell is important. Everything is done with or through or is identified by you mobile number.

Did you go to Michigan State?


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## spartan (Apr 28, 2009)

Yea, I did. It's a dead giveaway isn't it, haha. 

That seems like quite a bit of data allowance. I'd be interesting to find out what my current usage is. I've heard rumors that the new iPhone, which will supposedly be announced in June is going to have a tethering feature. That'd be great. 

Yeah, it really isn't that hard to program iPhone apps. Maybe I'll have to look into developing some. That'd be a nice side project for me. 

So what do you think of Dubai so far? What're are your biggest pet peeves living there?


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## DCtoDubai (Oct 26, 2008)

I haven't been here long enough to have pet peeves about Dubai. All of mine are with work!

I grew up outside of Detroit, so I am familiar with Spartan territory.

As for data usage, I have never used more than 2 gigs in a month and that was surfing the net al ay long. The problem is, with pre-paid service it jumps from 200megs (which isn't enough) to 10 gigs. At about double the price.


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## spartan (Apr 28, 2009)

They're just out to get you, aren't they. Yeah there's technically no taxes but they end up making up for it, don't they.

Where abouts from outside Detroit? I grew up in Troy.


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## DCtoDubai (Oct 26, 2008)

Whoever told you there are no taxes either was lying or had never been here.

30% alcohol; 5% of your rent; 10% on meals and hotels. Fee here, fee there . . . pretty soon it looks like a comprehensive tax regime.

I lived in Birmingham and West Bloomfield. Not far at all from Troy.


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## DXB-NY (Oct 6, 2008)

just buy the unlock code for ur iphone from ebay if you are tech savy which u seem to be. 
they have the iphone package here, not sure how much it is or how it works. I am on the blackberry plan which has unlimited data for 185 dirhams per month. 

Yeah Cell phone bills and actual phone prices are more expensive here, forget the free nights and weekends, and u can forget the monthly plan packages. It is wonder i actually miss NY and verizon.


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## spartan (Apr 28, 2009)

So as long as your iphone is unlocked you can go on any data plan (even the blackberry plan, in your case) and not just the iphone plan?

Also since you guys are both American (DXB-NY and DCtoDubai), what do you guys do about watching pro and college football and basketball? do they have ESPN? is espn360.com accessible?


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## DXB-NY (Oct 6, 2008)

hehehe i am a chic, i am more concerned with the lack of macys and other such discounts than anything else. Sorry.


spartan said:


> So as long as your iphone is unlocked you can go on any data plan (even the blackberry plan, in your case) and not just the iphone plan?
> 
> Also since you guys are both American (DXB-NY and DCtoDubai), what do you guys do about watching pro and college football and basketball? do they have ESPN? is espn360.com accessible?


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## spartan (Apr 28, 2009)

hahah...understandable.


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## DCtoDubai (Oct 26, 2008)

Everything is "accessible" if you have the right tools. To wit, you would want to download skype before you get here as well as a good VPN to get around the blocking of certain sites by the UAE and the refusal of some sites to upload to a non-US IP address.

DXB/NYC, you are in the shopping capital of the universe and you miss MACY'S?!?!?!?


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## DCtoDubai (Oct 26, 2008)

Oh, the other thing is you may want to invest in a sling box and bring the sling catcher with you. And explore alternatives to Skype and Vonnage and typical VOIP.


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## DXB-NY (Oct 6, 2008)

shopping capital of the world by whose standards? Dont know where you are from, but show me a 7 story macys, or a multi floor blomingdales, or Prince street, or soho. This aint no shopping capital of nowhere. Dont know who came up with that concept. The prices are high, even when they call it a sale. I love my NYfor shopping and many other things except the paycheck doesnt stretch too far when they bang u up with that 33% tax bracket, over here no bargains to be had. NY is the shopping capital of the world.


DCtoDubai said:


> Everything is "accessible" if you have the right tools. To wit, you would want to download skype before you get here as well as a good VPN to get around the blocking of certain sites by the UAE and the refusal of some sites to upload to a non-US IP address.
> 
> DXB/NYC, you are in the shopping capital of the universe and you miss MACY'S?!?!?!?


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## DCtoDubai (Oct 26, 2008)

Everything is expensive? Try getting a custom made suit in NYC for less than 1,000 dollars. Impossible! A shirt from Ascot Chang for under 200, much less under a 100? No chance.

Granted there is no SoHo, no Tribeca, no Village, but seriously, where in NYC can you find a greater assortment of genuine fake stuff. Or acre after acre of chinese knock-offs?


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## spartan (Apr 28, 2009)

DCtoDubai,

Any suggestions on alternatives to Vonage, Skype, VPNs that seem to work better over there?


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## DXB-NY (Oct 6, 2008)

not to be funny, but u have heard of China town right? uhm yeah go to China town, there are acres of genuine fake stuff, u just have to be willing to go into the back rooms. lol. 
Yeah, the tailored suit is cheaper here bcos labor is cheaper. But show me where i can get something from Banana republic or gap for $20. 


DCtoDubai said:


> Everything is expensive? Try getting a custom made suit in NYC for less than 1,000 dollars. Impossible! A shirt from Ascot Chang for under 200, much less under a 100? No chance.
> 
> Granted there is no SoHo, no Tribeca, no Village, but seriously, where in NYC can you find a greater assortment of genuine fake stuff. Or acre after acre of chinese knock-offs?


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## thecork (Apr 20, 2009)

DCtoDubai said:


> I haven't been here long enough to have pet peeves about Dubai. All of mine are with work!
> 
> I grew up outside of Detroit, so I am familiar with Spartan territory.
> 
> As for data usage, I have never used more than 2 gigs in a month and that was surfing the net al ay long. The problem is, with pre-paid service it jumps from 200megs (which isn't enough) to 10 gigs. At about double the price.


Hey DCtoDubai,

I use my iphone 3g unlocked from the Uk over here with a prepaid etisilat sim but get hammered on data charges so turn it off and only use in an emergency to pick up a mail or something. What Sim/tarrif are you using to get this free data, you say this is pre-paid? Can't get a contract here as we only work on visit visas, no residency.

As someone else mentioned, not just the new iphone due in june but the new firmware 3.0 will be released for current iphones allowing tethering, but if your iphone was unlocked then you should have Cydia on it as it will have been Jailbroken, you should find the free app PDANet in there that allows tethering. PM me if you have no idea what I mean or need any more help. 

Def interested in what plan you are on for the free data however...


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## DCtoDubai (Oct 26, 2008)

No free data. Just more than I can use normally.

I use a pre-paid Etisalat data plan. 495 AED for 10 gigs of data. Though it will expire which is why the tethering would be nice. 

Thanks for the tip about PDAnet. I figured there was something out there, just no time to research!


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## thecork (Apr 20, 2009)

DCtoDubai said:


> No free data. Just more than I can use normally.
> 
> I use a pre-paid Etisalat data plan. 495 AED for 10 gigs of data. Though it will expire which is why the tethering would be nice.
> 
> Thanks for the tip about PDAnet. I figured there was something out there, just no time to research!


Do these dataplans allow you to make calls texts or is it just a dataplan? We have one for our 3G modem but you cant call or text with that.


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## DCtoDubai (Oct 26, 2008)

Calls are extra.


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## thecork (Apr 20, 2009)

DCtoDubai said:


> Calls are extra.


Sorry for all the questions...what do you do, just top up every month 495 then put more on to use it for calls and texts as well? Sorry again!


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## DCtoDubai (Oct 26, 2008)

That's about the size of it. Just throw dirhams.


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