After the launch of the iPhone 4S in China that resulted in an angry customer throwing eggs at a Beijing store and hundreds of disappointed customers, Apple is taking measures when it comes to the release of the newest iPad in China. In order to keep angry customers, scalpers, and eggs at bay, Apple has created a reservation system for iPad sales.
The newest iPad will finally go on sale in China on Friday, four months after it was first launched in the U.S. To buy the iPad, though, customers have to make a reservation between 9am and 12pm local time, beginning on Thursday. Stores will only accept a limited number of reservations each day.
This is definitely a change from previous launches where customers would wait in line at the Apple stores to purchase the device. Back when the iPhone 4S was released in China hundreds of customers waited outside the Beijing’s Apple Store only to be later told that the store would not open for the day. No explanation was given by Apple and people got pretty irate about it.
The decision left hundreds disappointed, and one angry customer began throwing eggs at the store, which led to an altercation with security guards. Apple then decided to temporarily suspend iPhone 4S sales at five retail store in Beijing and Shanghai.
There has been no lineup this time around for the iPad as the store displayed a sign explaining the new iPad could only be bought with a reservation made online. This system has been used in Hong Kong, where there is very high demand for Apple’s products. Often products get released there first and then scalpers bring the products to mainland China only to sell them for higher prices.
The iPad’s release comes not long after a legal dispute with Proview Technology over the iPad name trademark where Apple ended up paying $60 million dollars to gain ownership over the iPad trademark in China. But, it seems like everything is good to go, and Apple’s getting ready to finally roll out the new iPad tomorrow.
