Fights have reportedly broken out between hundreds of fanboys and scalpers lined up outside Beijing’s main Apple store for the Chinese launch of the iPhone 4S. The crowd started shouting “LIARS!”, eggs were pelted, and the SWAT team were called to bring the situation under control. And here we were thinking that the midnight launches we have here in Australia were crazy.
The main Beijing Apple store failed to open its doors at the advertised time of 7am and seriously pissed off the crowds, forcing the SWAT team to be called in and Apple making the decision to cancel the launch at that particular store altogether. Chinese media is reporting that the vast majority of customers are scalpers working in organised groups.
Last year, violence also broke out when China released the iPad 2 in China. It seems like Apple needs to figure out a better way to do this. Maybe not making them wait months after the product launches in the rest of the world would be a start. [MacRumors, Bloomberg, MIC Gadget, Apple Insider]
Image: MIC Gadget
Terrence
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 1:39 PMWho attends a release with a shopping bag of eggs…
Josh
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 2:41 PMI was literally JUST about to ask that.
Lillee
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 1:54 PMWho riots at the launch of a phone?
Deed
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 2:51 PMNow I know to employ a man who doesn’t have an iPhone.
Seriously?
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 3:35 PMlmao at all the fanboys raging!! HAHAH
Deshan
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 3:48 PMSo many people want the iPhone 4S.
and yet all you fandroids say its a failure and all that bs.
never been such a attendance for a android phone has there? didn’t think so. i guess everything fandroids say about the iPhone are just out of jealousy.
true 'dat
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 9:14 AMtrue that fandroids don’t need to line up once a year to get their new hardware, android devices are so readily available with new hardware and choice of models being released by multiple brand names. There is no need to line up when there is so much supply.
Franz
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 6:20 PMScalpers aren’t gonna scalp! :O