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Stories about frenzied shoppers in China fighting over newly released Apple products have become a common anecdote in the last couple of years. But in the run-up to the release of the iPhone 4S this week in Beijing, things got so out of hand Apple responded by temporarily suspending sales of the device.
By most accounts, this is the first time Apple has halted the sale of a new product in a region simply because it proved to be too popular. But it can't be argued that Apple didn't expect high demand for the device.
Just last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, "Customer response to our products in China has been off the charts. With the launch in China next week, iPhone 4S will be available in over 90 countries making this our fastest iPhone rollout ever." But in the wake of over-enthusiastic crowds at Apple's Beijing store, and several violent outbursts, the company has suddenly decided to hold off on its planned China launch.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu said, "We were unable to open our store at Sanlitun [Apple's flagship store in Beijing] due to the large crowd, and to ensure the safety of our customers and employees, iPhone will not be available in our retail stores in Beijing and Shanghai for the time being."
Apple has stated that Chinese shoppers can still purchase the device online, but a quick visit to Apple's Chinese online store shows that, as of this writing, the device is not available.
And while the massive crowds shown mobbing the Apple store in Beijing may shock some, there's actually a very simple explanation. According to various sources on the ground in China, the massive crowds aren't just made up of Apple fans looking for an early purchase, but include large groups of professional scalpers looking to buy up the coveted device for resale on the grey market at inflated prices.
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