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Chris Lau

Bloomberg

Apple's new iPhones hit the shelves yesterday, with speculators cashing them in for up to double the original price.
The launch got off to a chaotic start in Hong Kong, with labour groups protesting about working conditions in the mainland factories that make the phones, and walk-in buyers at stores complaining bitterly upon being told they could not make purchases.
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."



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Apple

Queues, anger, cash-ins ... just another iPhone launch in Hong Kong

A big queue of people lined up outside Studio A in Tsim Sha Tsui in the hope of buying a new iPhone. Photo: Sam Tsang

Customers seek advice from Apple store staff (in blue) before purchasing the new iPhone 6 outside an Apple store. Photo: AFP

Customers seek advice from Apple store staff before purchasing the new iPhone 6 outside an Apple Store in Hong Kong. Photo: AFP

A woman touches an iPhone 6 Plus as it sits next to an iPhone 6 after they went on sale at the Apple Store. Photo: Reuters

The first buyer of an iPhone 6 (left) displays his purchase during its launch at an Apple store. Photo: AFP

Apple Store starts offering iPhone 6 at Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong in the morning. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Activists protest outside the Apple store in Central against the malpractices and labour exploitation of both Pegatron and Apple. Photo: Felix Wong

Activists hang a banner outside the Apple Store in Central protesting against the malpractices and labour exploitation of both Pegatron and Apple. Photo: Felix Wong

People queue up outside the Apple Store in Central for iPhone 6. Photo: Felix Wong

Trader sells iPhone 6 plus outside the Apple Store in Central. Photo: Felix Wong

Tens of hundreds of people wait to buy iPhone 6 outside Studio A in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Sam Tsang

Shoppers argue with police as they queue to buy the iPhone 6 outside Studio A in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Sam Tsang

Michael Yang hold his iPhone 6b Plus in the Apple store at IFC in Central. Photo: Felix Wong

Customers wait to buy the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus outside the Apple store at IFC in Central. Photo: Felix Wong

Newly bought iPhones were quickly sold on for fat profits

Some people were upset at missing out on a purchase.

REVIEW: Thinking of upgrading to an iPhone 6? Trust me, it's worth the wait

An Apple representative demonstrates features of the iPhone 6. Photo: Bloomberg

Apple CEO Tim Cook unveils the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in California. Photo: Reuters

People camp outside the Apple store in Berlin ahead of the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 plus. Photo: Reuters

A sign shows the marked-up prices of new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus at a non-Apple dealer in Hong Kong. Mainland resellers of smuggled units are inflating prices by up to 400 per cent. Photo: Reuters

Sold out in two hours: Hong Kong buyers jam Apple website in bid to snatch iPhone 6

There were winners and losers yesterday as iPhone fans in Hong Kong scrambled to log on to tech giant Apple's website to get their hands on the latest gadgets. Photo: Dickson Lee

News

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.
