Expensive Apples: iPhone 5 Hits the Grey Market But It's Being Boycotted

Apple’s latest version of the iPhone is nearly here. On Friday, Apple fanboys can upgrade to the lighter and longer prototype, but it could cost them as much as RMB 10,000. However, if a proposed boycott is as effective as some angry netizens hope, that price could drop.

The iPhone will be launched in Hong Kong and eight other countries on Friday, September 21. Beijing sellers are already promising to have the product by September 22. If you’re that anxious to get your hands on one, you’ll have to fork over 10,000 kuai (USD 1,580). That's nearly a 100 percent markup for the 16GB version.

On the other hand, if you’re willing to wait until the phone is legally stocked in the mainland, you'll be looking at a three-month wait (at best). The vice president of China Unicom has stated that the company will have the phone within three months, but a spokesperson for China Unicom then followed up by saying they would not confirm this.

The nine-week estimate seems pretty optimistic, especially considering the rumors that the mainland launch will be delayed because of the iPhone 5 map app that allegedly refers to certain disputed islands as part of Japan. We won’t know until Friday if this is actually the case, but proactive netizens are already calling for a boycott on Weibo.

Photos: MICgadget.com