Apple has decided to cancel selling the iPhone 4S in its Chinese stores after angry customers egged a store and scuffled with security guards and police when the Beijing store didn't open and wouldn't sell the new iPhone 4S.
βThe demand for iPhone 4S has been incredible, and our stores in China have already sold out,β an Apple spokesperson told AllThingsD. βUnfortunately we were unable to open our store at Sanlitun due to the large crowd, and to ensure the safety of our customers and employees, iPhone will not available in our retail stores in Beijing and Shanghai for the time being. Customers can still order iPhone through the Apple Online Store, or buy at China Unicom and other authorized resellers.β
Customers camped overnight in 16-degree weather for a chance to buy the new iPhone 4S and were furious when Apple's main store in Beijing didn't open at 7 a.m. as advertised. At 7:15 a.m., a man with a bullhorn told the waiting customers that the phone wouldn't go on sale without any explanation, according to Bloomberg News. Then customers began chanting "Open the door!" and "Liars!" before pelting eggs at the store.
Reports say that the would-be customers fought with security guards and police when they were told to leave, according to CNN.