As usual, the craze to be the first batch to own the newly released bigger iPhone 6 has started. Die-hard Apple fans queued for days ahead of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus release. Unlike previous iPhone 4S, 5, 5S which wasn’t really revolutionary as far as the screen size is concerned, this time the story is different. Fanatic fans were willing to skip normal meals and their comfy beds, not to mention sex for days just to be among the first to get the smartphone.

 

Due to time-zone difference, Japanese and Australians were the lucky ones who get to be the first in the globe to buy the iPhone 6. Apple-mania in Australia starts today – Friday – and the number of people queued outside Apple’s flagship Sydney store passed a mind-boggling 1,200 when doors opened at 8:01am. About 15-minutes later, David Rahimi came out from the Sydney store, a very happy man despite his wallet $2,000 lighter, thanks to an iPhone 6 and another iPhone 6 Plus.

And David is not even an Australian but a Californian deliberately flew in to Australia, just to be the first to get the Apple’s latest gadget. Just like David Rahmimi, Jack was the first to buy iPhone 6 at the Perth Apple store. Johnny Guan, on the other hand, was the first to get the gadget at Highpoint Shopping Centre. And there were literally thousands more who had camped out overnight at shopping centres such as Melbourne to get the long-awaited Apple phone.

 

Besides bigger screen sizes – choices of 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch – the other reason why people want to get iPhone 6 is perhaps because Apple iPhone 6 together with iOS 8 is the most secured smartphone on planet Earth. Well, at least that was what Apple claims, when the company’s privacy terms updated late Wednesday indicate that under its new mobile operating system, iOS 8, the company will not have access to customer passwords.

Hence, even if your local police, CIA, FBI and whatnot come with a warrant, Apple will not be able to do anything. Apple claims they simply cannot bypass your passcode so the government warrants for the extraction of your data stored inside your Apple phone running iOS 8 is futile. Unless you, as the owner, reveal the passcode, Apple can conveniently tells the law officers to go fly kite (*grin*).

 

But not everyone who camped for days bought for their own use. Amazingly, half of the thousands of the supposedly Apple fanatics queued because they planned to make money – by selling them in China. And we’re talking roughly about “triple” the price they purchased in Australia, of which a basic 16-GB Apple 6 sells for A$869 (US$777; £474; RM2,516). And these buyers were selling it for as high as 12,000 renminbi (US$1,950; £1,192; RM6,320).

So, it’s not a surprise sight that many customers who queued outside Australia Apple store were Chinese buyers. The bigger iPhone 6 Plus proves to be popular when all the 50 units released (top range 128GB) were snapped up. Even if you’re not Apple fans, you still can make some fast pocket money by being a recruit buying for other people, in returns for a cool US$150 – US$300. Thus, if you’ve nothing better to do, go get yourself useful by queuing up.

It makes perfect sense for these Chinese international school students. They’re going back to China for mid-semester break. If they make enough purchases, their profits from selling the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus back in China would mean these students are getting a free iPhone 6 for themselves, with some loose change left. And the fact that Highpoint store reportedly selling out before 9.30am today speaks volume about these “speculators”.

The matter gets worse because Apple deliberately releases iPhone 6 in limited quantity, as usual. It certainly doesn’t help when there was no release date for the iPhone 6 in China, leading rumour mills churning speculation that the Great Wall of China could officially get their turns only beginning of next year – 2015. Sites such as TaoBao, eBay could see more auctions on iPhone 6. And as long as people can make US$300 – US$1,000 a pop from the Chinese desperate customers, the chaos would continue.

 

Other Articles That May Interest You …

• Apple Pay, iPhone 6 & Watch – Welcome To The Party, But You’re Late
• Uh-oh, Apple’s In Trouble – Samsung Releases Note 4, Note Edge & Virtual Reality Gear
• Size Matters – Apple To Introduce New (Bigger) 12.9-Inch iPad for 2015
• Steve Jobs’ Resignation Letters, In 1985 and 2011, Are Some Of The Best Ever
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• Casio Reveals Its G-SHOCK SmartWatch – With Song Recognition On Your Wrist
• Here’s How Xiaomi Secretly Steal Your Data For Chinese Govt, And How You Can Block It
• Here’s Proof That Apple Deliberately Slow Down Its Old Models, Before A New Release

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September 19th, 2014 by financetwitter

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