The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

New year, new iPhone, same high price, and the same search for the cheapest iPhone in town. There is nothing new when it comes to Apple’s must-have smartphone’s release, but here is what you missed for buying an iPhone from unauthorised resellers in Egypt.

We know that iPhones are expensive, and we know that you never stopped searching for the cheapest one in town, and it’s okay to save a penny when you are getting the same product that you may aim to renew with every release.

We mean, every year, there is that urge that hits some people to buy the latest iPhone because their current one is outdated, and it’s not our choice to make or judge. However, we are only here to tell you about the best for you.

And no, before we proceed with today’s topic, this is not a sponsored article or a callout to buy phones from authorised resellers only, no. We are here to…wait a second, authorised resellers?

What is an Apple Authorised Reseller?

We should have explained something first. An authorised reseller is your local “tawkeel” but in an elegant tone. The authorised resellers are the only companies that can offer warranty for Apple’s devices in Egypt and out-of-warranty services that include software replacement, hardware fixes, and similar after-sale services.

Such resellers are scarce in Egypt, and you know some names: Tradeline, Switch Plus, and the four horsemen of mobile lines are also authorised resellers.

Why are you explaining this to us?

Because this might be your next problem. Let us tell you about the current situation for Apple in the Egyptian market.

iPhones are pretty expensive. We can’t deny that. They’re even considered expensive out of our borders and luxury items in some countries.

However, when it comes to expensive items, we always aim to find the lowest price to cut some pennies off the price label, and other stores come into play with a solution to this problem.

Some phone stores sell iPhones and other Apple products at a lower price than the local market, but still a higher price if we compare it to UAE and USA.

What is the catch?

The catch here is that most of these stores, without mentioning names, get UAE versions with their market price and sell them in Egypt. From here, you get to pay less for the phone itself compared to authorised resellers, and he gets to make a profit.

They are cheaper, they do work, and you get to pay less. Everyone is happy in this equation, but one person might not be so pleased after making his purchase, and that’s you.

We told you that these phones are not from authorised resellers, which means that they don’t pay customs charges and other fees. This won’t be a problem for most people until an accident happens to their new beloved phone.

No authorised reseller? No local warranty for you. If anything happens to your phone, it means that you need to send it to that store you bought it from, and from his side, he won’t provide any local fixes for you.

Instead, you will have to wait for the store to collect a specific number of damaged phones and send it straight to the Emirates or the country responsible for the phone’s warranty services, and of course, you will pay for the fixes and expenses most probably.

Let’s not forget to mention that you may not be able to use some specific services from Apple because your phone might not support them due to regional restrictions, which may include FaceTime.

Sometimes the Price Tag is Too Good to Ignore

Yes, it happens. If the price is right, we are not against buying an iPhone from unauthorised resellers. After all, they are not all bad, but we recommend doing some checks before you buy. First of all, check the packaging of the phone itself. Make sure that it doesn’t have a “Refurbished” sticker on the package, which means that this phone was used and resold by Apple itself.

The other thing to do is to check the serial on the back of the package itself from this link. Inform the seller that you are going to check it with him, and if he refuses to let you do so, there is something fishy about this phone.

Once you type the serial in the website we linked above, it should display the phone’s model and show no registered data for coverage. If you see anything different, refrain from buying this phone.

At The End

If you don’t get your phone from an authorised reseller, you are not a getting local, authentic warranty service. That is the only problem you will face.

Put that fact into your head before clicking “Add to Cart” the next time you shop for the cheapest iPhone around, and that is because you will end up paying the price in repair costs if your phone gets damaged. 

If you are willing to give up on the local warranty to pay less, remember the steps mentioned above to ensure you are getting an authentic phone.