iPhone Middle East vs international versions

There is NO International Version of iPhone. iPhones are sold by region. If you purchase an iPhone in Saudi Arabia you cannot add AppleCare+ to the phone in India. You can buy AppleCare+ in Saudi Arabia, but it will NOT be valid in India. In addition, your phone purchased in Saudi Arabia will have NO warranty in India.

So........purchase your phone in India where you live and will use the phone.

So, in online platforms where iPhones are sold in Saudi Arabia you might come across three listed variants i.e., Middle East (ME), International & HK dual sim variant. You can see that the models are same for both the Middle East & Intl. variants - A2403. From what I know the difference is that if you have the ME variant and you are in a country in GCC like UAE, where FaceTime and iMessage are blocked then the instant you insert the SIM card from that region the FaceTime app disappears. Which means you cannot use it. But if you have the International variant the FaceTime app will not be disappear when the SIM is inserted and the FaceTime call still blocked technically but can still be bypassed via a VPN. (Disclaimer: Please make sure using VPN software is legal in your country prior to using this method).

So, coming to your question, as of mid 2018 Saudi Arabia had lifted the FaceTime ban and it shouldn't matter which version you get. as for the Apple Care part I would highly recommend you contact apple support team via the Apple Support app.

I see a lot of people are confused here. It's simple, in the Middle East variant FaceTime App becomes hidden (When the regional SIM card is inserted) when used in a country like UAE where it's blocked. But on international variant Facetime app is always visible and iOS does not hide it. HK variant also doesn't hide the FaceTime app. Only difference is in HK variant both SIMs are physical rather than one physical and one eSIM. The reason there is a Middle East variant is due to the facetime restrictions imposed in some countries, other than that they are pretty much the same.

I've had used an international and middle east variant of iPhones in the past and this is the only difference I could see. The unlocked FaceTime variants are a bit more expensive in the middle east. Usually I see people who travel abroad a lot look for those variants.

P.S: US variant is different from International variant due to the extra millimeter wave antenna for iPhone 12 series.

There are physical differences in the antenna system on the US vs Middle East Version as the most obvious difference. They also support different 5G bands in the US vs Middle East.

You really should purchase your phone in the country you will live and use the phone. It's the safest best.

iPhone warranty is 1yr global/international and 2yrs in saudi.

So buying iPhone from saudi will still have access to warranty all over the world in the first year, while the second year only in saudi (as per saudi ministry of trade policies).

But the gentleman was asking for the phone versions (ME vs International) rather asking for warranty.

P. S: there is a 3rd version called HK version with 2 real physicals sim cards.

Yes there is international version, which in other words is the one that is not attached to a network!! I got mine in UAE i was offered the one with DU , ETISALAT or UNLOCKED aka INTERNATIONAL.... clearly i got the unlocked or international version and it works perfectly in uae , in mexico, in the usa and saudi

Perhaps English isn't your native language? What you are calling an International Version is an UNLOCKED phone, meaning it is not tied to a specific carrier. Saying a phone is international, implies it is specifically made to work in every region in the world. Apple doesn't make or sell such an iPhone. iPhone's are designed for regions.

Examples are:

Phones manufactured for Hong Kong and Macau can NEVER have the camera shutter sound muted, regardless of where the phone is used.

Phones manufactured for the US have NMWave 5G bands, which no other phones sold in other countries have.

Phones manufactured for China have dual Sim card trays, where other phones have one physical sim and eSim.

There are other examples as well, but I hope this helps clarify.

Hello Praveen_kasu,

We understand you want to know if you can purchase an iPhone in Saudi Arabia and purchase AppleCare+ in India for it. Is that right? You’re in the right place, we’d be glad to assist in seeking a solution.

To get expert advice about purchases, please reach out to our sales team here: Apple Store Online

Take care.

You are incorrect about iPhone warranty. There is not now, nor has there been an International Warranty on iPhone. A phone purchased in Saudi Arabia, will NOT have warranty all over the world. It simply will NOT.

I'm totally correct, my iPhone bought from saudi, went back home to NY, and it worked just fine and warranty active.

Just Google it, it's not a rocket science.

"Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty" https://www.apple.com/legal/warranty/products/ios-warranty-document-us.html

There is NO confusion. Because there is NO International variant. There are Regional Variants as you have aptly described, but NO International variant. And the warranty is as has been suggested. There is no such thing as International Warranty on iPhone.

Hi, I checked with apple support twice .. once their global support and another in India. Both team confirmed that apple care+ is international and service can be requested at any approved service center globally.

NOT sure about standard apple warranty.

Buy a phone in the country where you intend to use it. If your country has legal restrictions that prohibit FaceTime and other encrypted video calling apps, there is nothing anyone here can do about it.

We are NOT going to help you break the law.

Please clarify that what is different in between iPhone 12 mini international Vs Middle East Version. Is it related to only Warranty & Apple Care+? Or is there any difference in mobile phone features?

Hello, thank you for your clarification. But I need to know one more thing about Middle East vs US versions.

I live in Dubai but I’m usually in Italy for work.

I bought in Italy my last iPhone and it works very good in Dubai. Now if buy the new iPhone in Dubai (middle east version) it works well in Italy? What do you recommend to do? Is there FaceTime in the Middle East version?

thank you