Buyers beware! In China's southern boomtown of Shenzhen, it was said that more than 30 stores, most of them carrying Apple's iconic symbol, are marketing what they claim to be original units of the gadget that is a popular device among tech savvy and well-off Chinese consumers. However, according to NBC News, Apple only has one official store and five authorized dealers in Shenzhen. Therefore, if you have bought yours from one of those "other" stores, you could have bought an unauthorized version or worse-- a fake iPhone.
Moreover, according to NBC, the number of unauthorized or fake apple products in circulation have rapidly increased even before the official release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s Plus this September 25. In China, it is said that Apple has garnered a $13 billion revenue from 2014 to the 3rd quarter of this year. This only shows how popular the iPhones are in the Chinese market. The rapidly rising number of unauthorized copies is a reflection of how Apple products are extremely sought-after in China.
On the other hand, not all unauthorized stores are selling fake Apple products. According to IT Pro Portal, these fake Apple stores are selling genuine Apple products. These stores have display shelves and a store design patterned after the official Apple store and surprisingly, they are also taking pre-orders. These shops reportedly also have employees wearing shirts carrying Apple logos.
"There are many Apple fans in China," said a clerk "Zhao" from one of the unauthorized dealers that launched two week ago. "There are many silly people in China who are willing to pay extra money just to get a new iPhone ahead of everyone else." And these "fakes" are thriving because of the "silly people" who could not wait. Most of these stores sell the copies at higher prices than the official Apple products and it is unbelievable that some are willing to pay such price.
What do you think of these unauthorized stores? Should they be removed and considered as a major competition for Apple, or should Apple consider them as "allies" because they boost their company's sales and revenue? Share your thoughts below.
