Report: Apple fans in HK queue for older, cheaper iPhone 4

Apple fans in Hong Kong joined long queues that formed when Apple Inc. released its newest iPhone 4S smartphone last weekend, but not to buy the latest gadget. Instead, these fans waited to buy the "soon-to-be-outdated" iPhone 4, whose prices were slashed to make way for the 4S, tech site The Next Web reported. "It had been suggested that queuers had been misled into believing the new device was available in Hong Kong, but the reality is that clever marketing from Apple Store Hong Kong created buzz and sold a number of devices which will soon be outdated by the iPhone 4S," it said. The Next Web noted that while the iPhone 4S has not yet been released there, many dealers have brought down prices of the iPhone 4. Apple's iPhone 4S is to be made available in Hong Kong starting October 28, it added. For now, The Next Web said impatient Apple fans with cash to spare can get an iPhone 4S from the "gray market" where the device reportedly sells for up to HK$12,000 ($1,500). "That’s around six times higher than the US price, albeit that the latter includes a lengthy contract with operator which allows for a discounted cost," The Next Web said. It said hundreds of unofficial resellers source their devices from abroad, or "less legitimate sources." — RSJ, GMA News