AppleRegisters ringing at China's fake Apple stores ahead of new iPhone launch

Registers ringing at China’s fake Apple stores ahead of new iPhone launch

Ahead of the launch of the new iPhone, registers at China’s fake Apple stores are ringing in joy, welcoming customers who wouldn’t mind a cheap rip-off of the original. Various reports as well as images of such outlets have emerged all over the internet. And they seem to be doing slow but steady business, even while not openly advertising the iPhone 6S counterfeits.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are scheduled for release on September 25 and cost upwards of $648 or Rs 43000. They will initially be available in the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, France, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. For Chinese fans, up to a fortnight’s worth of waiting outside an authorized shop is needed if they want to be among the first to get a unit.

Fake Apple Store In China

Placing an order through Apple’s official website in China will have customers waiting for almost 4 weeks for delivery. On the other hand, laying hands on a fake iPhone 6S is relatively painless and cheap. It is priced at just about 580 yuan or $90 and is a decent copy of the original down to the logo on the back panel. It however runs on Android with an interface designed to resemble iOS.

Also see: Chinese men try to sell their kidneys for latest iPhone 6S

The counterfeit version of the new iPhone may look very close to the real thing, but it’s slow and its camera appears to be below par, reveals IBTimes UK in this insightful report. The unnamed sellers at the technology mall in the southern Shenzhen city, who provided the details, say the handset hasn’t flown off shelves. About 100 units were sold within less than a week of its arrival.

Pictured above is one such shady Apple store in China. Apple only hosts one official shop in Shenzhen and has 5 authorized dealers in the aforementioned mall. Yet, many shops just outside the center carry the company’s white logo. Not all of them sell fake iPhone units. Some source genuine handsets from markets abroad and sell them at crazy rates when the demand is high.

Related Articles

Latest Posts