So you know the Apple iPhone that came out in the States last summer? Did you see how, a few weeks ago, there was this uproar about how many have made it onto the black market?

It's funny because I meant to write back then just how many iPhones I've seen in Dubai. They're everywhere. The town is lousy with iPhones. Shoot, even teenagers in the high school have them left and right.

Which is more than a little amazing, considering that the iPhone is not officially available in Dubai.

Then the other day, wandering the city with my parents, we stopped to get dad a new watch battery at this kind of seedy electronic store in Bur Dubai, down by the creek. And by seedy I mean, in their display window they had iPods that don't exist. Like really, really bad knockoffs.

They also had iPhones.

Or at least iPhone boxes.

Since the watch repair was taking a little bit, I asked one of the sales guys how much the iPhone cost.

He said 1900 dirhams - about $517.

Now, if it's real that's a bargain. The 8GB model goes for $399 in the States, plus you need to sign your life away to AT&T for a couple of years.

But how do I know it's real? I mean, if the "iPod" in the window was any indication, these guys wouldn't mind terribly to rip a customer off. Shoot, it could be a box full of rocks for all I know.

Still, there was a little part of me that was doing the math - if Liz could barter him down about 20% (she's good at that stuff) that'd make it ... just about the same as a phone in the States, minus the AT&T bit.

Then again, just my luck it'd be an "iFone" or something.

But still, those high school kids have to get them from somewhere ...