53 iPhones: Dubai man completes three-year Apple launch hat-trick with new Duo, from first iPhone to iPhone 18 Pro Max

Mohammed Shakaa, an Apple enthusiast based in Dubai, brought 53 iPhones spanning nearly two decades of the company's product history to an Apple Store while collecting his new Apple iPhone Duo, according to a report by Khaleej Times. Originally from Karachi, Shakaa has collected devices ranging from the first-generation iPhone to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, making the hobby a personal challenge and a way to experience Apple's technological evolution.

Shakaa visited the store to collect two Apple iPhone Duos after staff contacted him the previous day and asked him to bring his collection along. The latest purchase was particularly significant for him, as he had followed rumours about Apple's foldable phone for more than three years before finally getting the opportunity to book one.

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From the first iPhone to the iPhone 18 Pro Max

Shakaa said his collection includes almost the entire iPhone lineup, with some models represented by multiple devices in different colours. Rather than storing the phones away, he displays them at home.

“iPhone collection is my hobby, and it is also a challenge for me,” Shakaa told Khaleej Times. “I have almost the whole iPhone collection, from the first generation until the iPhone 18 Pro Max. In some models, I have one or two phones in different colours. I keep them displayed at home.”

Although he owns a handful of phones from other brands, including Motorola and Samsung, Shakaa said Apple remains his primary interest.

“I am a die-hard Apple fan,” he said. “With every generation, you see something changing: the camera, touch, battery, operating system and many other things. I have experienced those changes over the years, and that is why I love it.”

For Shakaa, the collection is therefore not simply about owning old devices. It also allows him to follow the changes Apple has introduced across successive generations of its smartphones.

Apple iPhone Duo fulfils a three-year wait

Shakaa said he had been following rumours about Apple's foldable phone for more than three years. By the time the iPhone 18 series was announced, he was already looking ahead to the company's next major product.

“When Apple Duo bookings opened, I got the chance to book it,” he said. “I had been waiting for it for more than three years. There were only rumours before, but finally it is here. Today, I am very happy to receive it.”

The purchase also marked a personal milestone. Shakaa said he had been among the first people in line at a major Apple launch for three consecutive years, describing the latest appearance as the completion of a “hat-trick”.

“For the past three years, it has been back to back, and today my hat-trick is complete,” he said.

He added that he now wanted other customers to have the opportunity to experience major Apple launches without feeling disappointed about missing out.

“Now I want other people to get an opportunity as well. I have done what I wanted to do, and I do not want others to feel disappointed,” he said.

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Dubai collector hopes to attend Apple's California launch

Having completed his three-year run of being among the first in line for an Apple launch, Shakaa has set his sights on a new ambition: attending a future Apple launch event in California.

“I want to go to California for Apple’s next launch and be number one there,” he said. “I want to represent myself and show them how far my craze for these phones has gone.”

For now, his collection of 53 iPhones reflects nearly two decades of interest in Apple's devices, while the iPhone Duo marks the latest addition to a hobby he hopes to take to the company's home state.