Apple iPhone can be bought in China, even though it has only been released in the United States. And the phones, which have been unlocked by hackers, don't function properly in China despite costing almost twice the list price.
Consumers willing to pay 8800 yuan (US$1170; €860) can buy the iPhone at electronics markets in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
The cost is nearly double the price of the iPhone in the United States, where the gadget can be bought for US$499 (€367), and the phone doesn't even work correctly. Users can make calls and text message but can't receive calls. The voicemail function also does not work.
One Beijing shop owner told Dian Nao Bao he gets about 30 buyers and potential buyers in one day, and that the customers don't care about the price or that the phone isn't fully functional.
Dian Nao Bao said agents with the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce recently seized several iPhones from the Zhongguancun electronics market.