Authorities believe they caught a man who was trying to smuggle 94 iPhones into China on Sunday. The man, who seemed to be traveling light, caught their attention because of his strange way of walking and odd posture. His two shopping bags passed the customs' scrutiny. However, the man triggered the metal detector alarm as it went off after he passed through.
It was learned that there were dozens of shiny iPhones that are neatly shrink-wrapped and are strapped around the man's chest, torso, crotch and thighs. There's no information on the source of the iPhones. It's also not clear what iPhone models are discovered although it was speculated that their overall value would go beyond $50,000. This would make the man's saran-wrapped iPhone suit qualify as the world's most expensive suit to date.
Smuggling of iPhones in Hong Kong seemed to be a typical affair. Usually, the device would land first in the territory. Since the iPhone's launch had been delayed in China, this means that a lot of smuggled phones have been brought inside the mainland.
At the black market, prices of the iPhone 6 Plus had reached more than $3000 during the time when they're availability in China was not yet official.
Compared to Hong Kong, the retail price of the iPhones is more expensive in China because of higher import taxes. Apple is increasing its presence in China and plans to have 40 stores in a span of two years. Currently, there are 15 Apple stores found in the mainland.
Apple's iPhones are hugely popular in China. Most customers found the large screen of the new iPhone 6 devices to be very appealing which is important in China and in other Asian markets. When the devices finally landed on the stores, many customers were longtime iPhone users who are looking into getting an upgrade without minding the extra cash that they have to spend.
"It's all about the screen size," said Sun Wei, a 28-yr old employee at a state-owned company. "This time the bigger screen makes it easier to watch movies, browse the web, and of course, type."
A regular iPhone device has a weight of 4.6 ounces. If the man who tried to smuggle iPhones into China had 94 devices wrapped around his body, it would mean that he's carrying almost 30 lbs. of electronics. That should explain why he looked "uncomfortable" while walking.
