Apple on Friday launched its iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad in the Chinese market and at the company’s newest store in Beijing, early turnout for the device was fantastic, with a long line forming outside the building.
Apple’s store in Beijing’s Wangfujing district opened its doors at 9 am to customers who had made a reservation and in the following hour, about nine hundred customers entered the store.
The company’s product launches in China have previously brought out droves of people willing to wait in line to buy them. In a few instances, there were skirmishes among impatient buyers. To avoid this and make buying the devices easier, Apple in July switched to a reservation system for the launch of its third-generation iPad.
Customers in China now waiting to buy the company’s newest devices at an Apple store must first place an order online.
But not all customers were aware of the reservation system. A 43-year-old, with the surname Yin, came to the Wangfujing Apple store, wanting to buy an iPad.
“I guess I’ll have to buy an old one,” he said, after finding out he needed to make a reservation. “I want to buy one because I think the whole family can use it, and my kid wants to play with it.”
An 18-year-old, who didn’t wish to disclose his name, also came to the store hoping to buy a new iPad, but failed to make a reservation online.
“I wasn’t able to reserve one,” he said. “I want an iPad 4. I think it’s very good.”
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