White iPhone 4 Launch Amasses Hundreds of iPhone Scalpers Across Hong Kong

By Chris Chang, posted Apr 27, 2011 at 4:10 PM, 3,134 views,

White iPhone 4 Launch Amasses Hundreds of iPhone Scalpers Across Hong Kong

Starting today, the long awaited white iPhone 4 is finally available for purchase. It’s good news, especially for the iPhone scalpers in Hong Kong. Previously, they thought the scalping game is over, but they are now rolling out once again to get as much white iPhones as they could, and sell them to Mr Lo, the master of iPhone grey market. So, it’s midnight for the launch here, and we can see a big crowd of people waiting in line outside the local carriers.

UPDATE: Video!!

First of all, you need to know the resell price for the white iPhone here in Hong Kong. The grey market dealers are ‘accepting’ a brand new, sealed, 16GB white iPhone, for HK$7,000 ($900), and HK$7,700 ($990) for 32GB. This price seems amazing for the scalpers, so they got off their work, had a late meal, and wait in line outside a specified carrier to sign a 2-year contract for the white iPhone. Since it’s midnight here, only some carriers are opened late for the launch. Amazing huh?

A notice is pasted on the gates of a local carrier and it says, ‘Pure white iPhone 4 will be launched at midnight in this store, it will be available at all other stores tomorrow.’ Great. (^-^)

Just look at that long queue!!!

Oh, it’s summer season here, 30 ºC, 86º F.

A sign saying, ‘Queue up here for white iPhone 4 purchase.’

In preparation…

Still waiting…

What a long queue to the back street…

C’mon! How long do we still have to wait!?

In any minute?

Gates are off and let’s get ready to roll in!

Hooray!

Another local carrier in Mong Kok (the most popular shopping area in Hong Kong).

This is what I called the Apple fever.

He’s the first waiting in line, and he got his white iPhone! Selling it or keeping it?

No more stocks within an hour. Awesome.

We believe most of these ‘customers’ will sell their white iPhones to the grey market dealers next morning. The ‘accept’ price may not rise, since the online Apple store will provide the white iPhones too, starting from next morning. Grey market dealers could order the white iPhones online, and they will only offer a high price to accept the white iPhones if they have a high demand to cope with. If a rich man from mainland China wants the white iPhone in bulk quantity, the grey market dealers will try their best to accept the phones from scalpers. And since the white iPhone in China’s online Apple store costs more than Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland consumers will definitely choose to get it from Hong Kong.

Anyway, there’s no doubt that these scalpers will sell their white iPhones to Mr Lo, since Lo offers the best price in the grey market. Haha, it looks like Lo will be super busy next morning!

Source: Unwire.hk (1), (2), winandmac, Appledaily