White iPhone 4 Launch Turns Violent at Beijing Store

In China, it appears Apple fanboys are so eager to snap up the new Apple products that some of them will resort to violence. Multiple sources are reporting that the launch of the white iPhone 4 caused a skirmish outside the China's flagship store in the Sanlitun neighborhood of Beijing.

According to a CNN report, after a man believed to be a scalper tried to jump the line to buy the white iPhone, three Apple security members tried to escort the man away, and a fight broke out. A "shoving match" between an Apple staffer and a relative of the alleged scalper resulted as he was removed from the line. The fight caused Apple security to close and lock the entrance of the store. Zealous customers rushed the glass door, and as they tried to shake it open, it shattered.

Two men and two women reportedly suffered minor injuries in the scuffle. Apple closed the store for the rest of the afternoon.

"The Apple store in Sanlitun closed for several hours on Saturday after a group outside the store became unruly," Carolyn Wu, a Beijing-based Apple spokesperson told CNN. "The store team acted to protect themselves and our customers by closing the doors and preventing the group from entering. The safety of our customers and our employees is our top priority."

As of Sunday, customers in Beijing that want a white iPhone 4 must first make a reservation online, the Wall Street Journal is reporting. No reservation is necessary to snag a black iPhone 4.

It seems that white iPhone-related violence isn't an isolated situation. The launch of the iPad 2 reportedly caused a brawl to break out as well. There have also been problems with scalpers hawking Apple products in the country in the past.

Demand for Apple products has grown massively in China since the country's first store opened nearly three years ago. Chinese Apple stores are some of the busiest in the world. The AP reports that on average, Chinese locations have both the highest traffic and highest revenue among all Apple stores. When Apple reported its Q1 earnings last month, it said that quarterly revenue from China quadrupled, soaring to $2.6 billion, or about 10 percent of the company's total revenue.

PCmag