Scalpers offer Apple iPhone Duo buyers hundreds extra outside Beijing launch
Source: CNBC ·
Apple's global launch of the foldable iPhone Duo brought scalpers to the Beijing flagship store looking to pay big for the already pricey devices.
From the source
The iPhone Duo has an eye-popping price tag, but initial interest in Apple 's first foldable phone in China appears solid. On the day of the global launch on Friday, scalpers like Alex Wang stood outside the flagship store in Beijing 's popular shopping area, Sanlitun, offering to pay customers an extra 3,000 Chinese yuan ($448) to buy their newly purchased phones on the spot. "I feel the Duo can be sold with a higher price for half a month," he told CNBC while watching the lines of Duo customers who had pre-booked their phones. "The main reason is the tight supply." Though foldables are still a niche product globally, China's market is the single largest, according to Counterpoint Research. Apple fan Mary Tong, who was first in a line of about 100 people at the Sanlitun store, showed up at 6 a.m. to pick up her foldable device. "Apple has been the laggard," she said. "I think many Chinese do prefer foldable phones." Huawei is promoting its own AI assistant XiaoYi to boost the…