Whilst certain parts of planet Earth continue struggling with cost of living increases, other heavily loyal Apple consumers have been patiently saving their hard earned cash in readiness for last weeks long awaited release of the iPhone 14 Pro.

One such man was 28-year-old Dheerak Palliyil who travelled thousands of miles from the southern Indian state of Kerala in an effort to arrive in Dubai hours before the product went on sale, simply to be one of the first in the world to own the new phone.

Having spent 40,000 rupees (£439) on airplane tickets and then a further 129,000 rupees on the new model itself, it is safe to say Mr Palliyil has earned his place on the list of fans who have gone to great lengths to get their hands on the mobile phone that helped revolutionise modern life as we know it.  So much so, that there are now probably odds on the likes of novibet.ie for things like longest journey or the most attendances for an Apple release.

First launched by Apple back in 2007, their mobile technology is one of the main drivers behind the companies massive world wide success, and with many believing that each new version of the phone serves as a visible status symbol for their lives, product launches have become big news in their own rights over the years, with thousands queuing - in some cases for hundreds of hours - outside of Apple stores on the day of the launch and even reports of people selling their organs in order to provide the cash boost needed to make the purchase.

Having gone to such lengths recently, it will come as no surprise that Mr Palliyil is no stranger to the hype surrounding the iPhone, this is actually the fourth time that he has made the long journey to Dubai in order to make his purchase ahead of others.  He has gone to similar efforts previously in 2021, 2019 and in 2017 when the iPhone 8 was released.

Speaking to the media with the phone finally in his hands, he explained that he simply 'didn't want to wait' and that he 'loves the excitement of waiting outside an Apple store to be among the first to get the phone'.

Having made his purchase from a shopping mall in Dubai back on September 16, the cinematographer and businessman said he felt hugely inspired by Apple's former Chief Executive Officer, Steve Jobs, who passed away back in 2011, and the iPhone was just a natural fit for his life being an existing technology enthusiast.

"During previous iPhone launches, the phone would usually release in India 10-15 days after its sale abroad. This time however, the India sale was to begin just a few hours later, but it has become my ritual now to buy the latest phone in Dubai. This is my way of commemorating his work."

When asked the obvious question of what his family made of his lengthy trips and his loyalty to being one of the first to own the new phone, he admitted that originally they were perplexed and could not understand his reasoning, but now if anything, it has become a new quirky family tradition.

"They would tease me for wasting money on luxury goods. I would always tell them that this is not just about buying an expensive product. In fact, they are the ones who alert me about new phone launches and ask me when I'm going to fly to Dubai to buy it."

Apple will undoubtedly be pleased that a valued customer now has his families backing and the chances are high that Dubai will be welcoming back Mr Palliyil for a fifth time in the not too distant future.