The back-to-school season is around the corner and in this part of the world, or more specifically, in the UAE; laptops are almost on the list of necessities that students have to purchase.
Parents looking to purchase affordable devices for their children might be surprised to discover a hidden gem in Sharjah: the ‘Used Laptops Market’ that is good for those who are in search of laptops for as low a price as Dh50.
This market is situated along the industrial areas 2,3,5 and 6 in Sharjah and is currently famous for discount electronic gadgets. In an interview with Shanawaz, the sales head at Royal Used Computers said that they can be very cheap with some of them going for as low as Dh50.
Thus, for example, a “second-hand” Chromebook in a good state may be purchased for as little as Dh50, Shanawaz said. Regarding the prices of the machinery and equipment, they can vary from Dh100 to Dh300 depending on the brand, specifications, and year of manufacture.
Quite intriguingly, it does not merely provide stripped-down models at bottom-dollar prices. This applies to both standard and branded laptops from the recognized manufacturers of laptops in the country. Shanawaz said that 6 and 7-number branded laptops are available from Dh200, while 8 numbers start from Dh300 and above on the basis of their features. On the 9th-generation Intel laptops, prices range from Dh350, while the new 12th-generation Intel laptops can be bought starting from Dh900.
Tech lovers, in particular, Apple fans, will also benefit since there you will be able to buy an old model of MacBook with the discount eligible for Dh300 and the model manufactured in 2014. The most recent models produced between 2020 and 2022, can be bought for as low as Dh1,200.
Parents looking for steady devices for children for boring tasks in school will find the market with an array of reliable ones. Abdul Rahman of Giant Used Computer Sales got to agree and pointed out that business has been picking up with the formal school year just around the corner.
Rahman said, ‘Many parents are coming to us to buy laptops for their children for school use.’ ‘We stock a range of laptops and tablets that we believe are suitable for students as well as professionals Some parents come with their children’s laptops that they bought the previous year and exchange them with the latest models after making a small differential.’
These laptops, Rahman categorically promised are hardly used and are in good condition at the time of issuance. “We do not have to renovate or renew them because we procure them in as new condition as possible,” he also said.
But where do these cheap, often enter-level gadgets come from? In conversation with the owner of Unique Used Computers, Saleem Kotamal, he said that OEM laptops are imported from Europe and the US. Kotamal said laptops in the West are used for about a year before they are upgraded to the latest models, and the lightly used gadgets are shipped out to other countries, such as the UAE.
He noted that these devices are usually in the state that can be described as close to new and they are offered at a discount of between 50-70 percent of their cost price. For instance, there is a difference between buying a new Lenovo ThinkPad E16 for Dh3,200 and buying a used Lenovo ThinkPad E16 that was used for only three months,” Kotamal said.
