Slow resales of Apple’s iPhone 6s during debut in Hong Kong amid same-day launch in mainland China
Resales of the brand-new iPhone 6s were lacklustre this morning near Apple’s flagship store in Hong Kong, where the gadget made its debut on the same day as in mainland China.
Resales of the brand-new iPhone 6s were lacklustre this morning near Apple’s flagship store in Hong Kong, where the gadget made its debut on the same day as in mainland China.
Apple fans and speculators had turned out in force outside the store at the IFC Mall in Central, with many having an eye to making a quick buck from resales of the new devices, which featured faster mobile connections.
But one speculator who had a couple of the new smartphones to resell lamented how the latest models were no longer as appealing as before.
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“[Business] is no good. No people like this phone. There is no more new feature,” said Sushil Kumar, who hoped to sell the smaller iPhone 6s for HK$6,500 and the bigger iPhone 6s Plus at HK$7,000.
Official retail prices start at HK$5,588 for the iPhone6s with a 4.7-inch display and HK$6,388 for the iPhone6s Plus with a 5.5-inch display, according to Apple’s Hong Kong webpage.
Without bothering to unwrap their purchases, many then made a beeline for a nearby footbridge, where at least 50 electronics speculators had taken up position to trade and bargain.
The bridge became so congested with traders and sellers at one point that IFC security staff members had to ask people to leave. The scene was largely peaceful, nevertheless.
But by noon, the atmosphere on the bridge had changed. Speculators found themselves still holding on to the stock they acquired earlier as the excitement dissipated and only a handful of passers-by showed interest in their iPhones.
Walking along the bridge, one could hear one speculator after another saying “cannot speculate” and “making only a few hundred dollars”.
One man commented: “It’s bad … [Mainland] China is also selling the phones at the same time. Apple is releasing too many products at the same time.”
Information technology worker Nok Au, 24, was looking for a buyer who was willing to offer the right price for the three brand-new iPhones she had just bought.
“I am here to release the phones. I hope to sell them for HK$8,000 each,” she said after waiting for half an hour.
“I bought three phones … I will not use any of them. They are for speculation.”
Abhishek Gupta, 37, was not eager for a resale, however.
He had booked an appointment four weeks ago and was in the queue to buy the two phones he had ordered before going back to work at a bank.
“I am going to get the pink colour … I am definitely going to use the new phone. The new phone has a faster speed and I like its colour,” Gupta said.
“One is for my use. For the other one, it depends on the premium. If [the speculator] doesn’t offer a good price, I won’t sell it.”
