Eggs for Apple as i-Phone sales halted in China

There were angry scenes in Beijing on Friday, these protests were not about political issues or poverty, rather a shortage of i-Phones. People who had been queueing for hours pelted the main Apple store in Beijing with eggs when they were told the latest version of the phone would not be going on sale as planned.

Managers said there were safety concerns because of the huge numbers gathered outside.

One frustrated customer said: “Some of us have been here for one or two days, while some of us have travelled here by plane. It’s a long way and a long time, so they have to give us a reasonable explanation.”

After the trouble Apple announced it was temporarily halting sales of the i-Phone 4s in Beijing and Shanghai, though that they would be still available online.

Apple products are wildly popular with Chinese eager to acquire the latest technology first, and some go to extreme meauses. Many of those waiting outside the Apple store were apparently paid to stand in the queue for someone else. Their concerns about getting paid for a service not rendered added to the angry atmosphere.

Copyright © 2012 euronews