Over 60 people were caught trying to smuggle iPhone 7s across the border to Shenzhen on Friday, the first day that the new gadget was available for sale in Hong Kong.
Reported dampened enthusiasm for the iPhone in China was nowhere to be found as Shenzhen customs officers recovered at least 400 of the new iPhones that day with a total value of RMB3 million (HKD3.488 million).
The confiscated phones will be auctioned publicly to benefit state coffers.
At one point, a group of 10 smugglers were caught with 44 of the devices strapped around their waists and ankles, People’s Daily and Shanghaiist reported.
Apple revenue in Greater China – which includes Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan – fell 33 percent to USD8.8 billion (HKD68.3 billion) in Q2 2016.
Let’s see if the iPhone 7 can revive things.
If this uncle’s phone-stuffed socks are any indication, it’s still a hot item.
Photo: People’s Daily
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