The launch of the iPhone 4S in China earlier this month did not go as planned. Huge crowds of customers and scalpers lined up in front of Apple stores in both Shanghai and Beijing. A small riot broke out when the stores didn’t open on time. Rather than put its employees at risk, Apple closed its stores and sent customers to its online store front to buy the popular handset. Now that things have quieted down, Apple has decided to begin in-store sales using a lottery system that’ll stop people from lining up at the stores.
According to the 9to5Mac report, Apple stores will no longer sell the iPhone 4S to walk-in customers. Customers must have a valid reservation as well as a government-issued photo ID. There will be a limited number of reservations available each day and customers must request them through Apple’s Chinese website. Once customers choose their phone and their store, they will receive an email by 9:00PM confirming their reservation for the next day. The email will contain the time that customers can pick up their phone. If customers don’t receive an email, then they missed the cut and can try again the following day. Using this lottery system, Apple hopes to sell million of iPhones with minimal problems.
[Via 9to5Mac]