Visiting Hong Kong Apple Store: Scalpers swarm to grab iPhone 6, shocking Hong Kong people

With the recent launch of iPhone 6, strange scenes are occurring in Apple stores in Hong Kong, China. On the one hand, a large number of users are unable to purchase iPhone 6 normally at the Apple Hong Kong store. On the other hand, a large number of scalpers appear next to the Apple Hong Kong store and continue to hoard iPhone 6.

Tencent Technology discovered at 4pm yesterday at an Apple store in Kowloon, Hong Kong that as soon as someone walked out of the store with an iPhone 6, a scalper would immediately take out cash and ask them for the price, with a backpack filled with many iPhone 6s on their shoulders.

According to Apple's official prices, the iPhone 6 is priced at HKD 5,588 (16GB), HKD 6,388 (64GB) and HKD 7,188 (128GB), which are equivalent to RMB 4,470, RMB 5,100 and RMB 5,750 respectively. However, the price of iPhone 6 has skyrocketed since the first day of its release. If you buy an iPhone 6 at the official price, the 16GB version can be sold for at least RMB 5,500, and the 64GB version is priced at RMB 6,500. The price of iPhone 6 Plus was once as high as tens of thousands.

Even though the price is much higher than the market price, iPhone 6 is still popular in the hands of scalpers. A mainland tourist failed to book a number online and could not buy at the market price, so he had to buy two 64GB iPhone 6s at a price of 13,000 yuan. The mainland tourist was a little unwilling, but the scalper quickly comforted him and said that he should not feel that it was unfair to spend such money, as long as the batch of iPhone 6 in his hands was resold to Shenzhen, the wholesale price of each unit would be at least 6,800 yuan, which was just 300 yuan less.

The scalper also showed tourists the latest "black market" prices of iPhone 6 on his phone. In the hands of scalpers, the iPhone 6s were like gold, and their value soon doubled in the mainland, and they didn't have to worry about sales. The scalper's business strategy is generally to collect enough iPhone 6s and then become a "smuggler", bringing the iPhone 6s collected through various channels to the mainland to earn the difference, or directly reselling them to tourists who are transiting or traveling in Hong Kong and cannot buy iPhone 6s.

Behind the booming scalper business, Apple has already made huge profits. The first batch of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were launched in markets such as the United States, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Their sales exceeded 10 million units in the first three days after they were launched on the market.

According to the plan, starting from September 26, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will also be sold in markets in more than 20 other countries and regions around the world. It is expected that by the end of this year, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be sold in markets in 115 countries and regions around the world.

However, mainland China was not included in the first and second batch of iPhone 6 releases, and it is unknown whether it will be available by the end of the year. However, the hot sales of iPhone 6 have caused trouble for consumers in mainland China, and many consumers who want to try it out have to pay high prices to buy it. The reason why mainland China was not included in the first batch of iPhone 6 sales is that in order to be listed in China, mobile phones must obtain both the "National Radio Transmitter Model Approval" and the "Mobile Phone Network Access Inspection Permit". Currently, the iPhone 6 network access permit has not been approved.

Of course, another reason why mainland consumers buy at high prices is that there are many scalpers who start preparing several months in advance. Often one person uses some means to obtain multiple reservation numbers to purchase online. Even if mainland consumers queue up at Apple stores, it will be useless without a number.

Many Hong Kong locals and foreigners find it hard to understand and are unwilling to believe that mainland consumers would rather spend thousands of yuan more on an iPhone 6. An Indian even exclaimed in an interview with Tencent Technology: "amazing."

A mainlander pointed out that the current trend among mainland young people is to use iPhones, but now iPhones have basically become street machines. How can one stand out as fashionable and different? That is to own the latest iPhone 6, which also gives one something to show off. From another perspective, Chinese consumption is upgrading, and young people are used to buying new iPhones, and they don't mind spending thousands more.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.