Queues, anger, cash-ins ... just another iPhone launch in Hong Kong
Consumers complain they were misled by Apple Store staff over iPhone 6 sales but touts do a brisk trade in the iconic mobile models outside the showroom
Apple's new iPhones hit the shelves yesterday, with speculators cashing them in for up to double the original price.
At Apple's Festival Walk store in Kowloon Tong, more than 100 people had queued overnight, only to be told that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus would only be available to those who had pre-registered - walk-in customers would not be entertained.
"They could've told us last night when the mall closed," said 31-year-old cleaner Tony Ku.
He claimed that Apple Store employees and security staff at the mall had told those waiting outside on Thursday that they could queue until the mall opened yesterday.
But when they filed in at 6.30am, Apple staff announced that no iPhones would be sold to walk-in customers. Store manager Patrick Wong said: "We had no idea there were people queuing up outside."
Pre-registered buyers, who were limited to two phones, were applauded by staff as they picked up their new gadgets. Many sold them on to speculators outside, many of them from the mainland, who in turn hoped to resell them for a profit.
The phones went on sale yesterday in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, before being rolled out in Puerto Rico, Canada and the US. But licensing problems on the mainland meant it was not included in the opening, unlike last year's iPhone 5s and 5c launch.
The iPhone 6 Plus had the best resale value, fetching HK$13,000 to HK$17,000 - double Apple's price. The iPhone 6, with a smaller screen, was fetching around HK$8,000, said one buyer, who admitted most of the phones would be heading north.
One store on online purchasing site Taobao boasted one-day delivery in the vicinity of Beijing, charging 16,888 yuan (HK$21,267) for an iPhone 6 Plus with 128GB memory. The website said it had Hong Kong and US versions.
About 30 people representing nine labour groups staged a protest against mainland sweatshop factories at the IFC store.
Some dozen protesters from Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour held up signs that said "iSlave 6. Still made in sweatshops", and "Throw Away the Bad Apple."
Buyers speaking Cantonese with mainland accents could be seen gathering next to Sin Tat Plaza, a popular mobile gadget hub, in Mong Kok.
Their presence attracted new owners of the phones looking for the best re-sale deal.
In Japan, dozens of Chinese people were waiting outside Tokyo's flagship Apple store in glitzy Ginza.
"I'm queuing because it's not sold in China yet," said Chen Manyan, a 21-year-old tourist from Fujian province, adding: "It's expensive, though."
