【英语科技】你愿意花多少钱买iPhone 4

Just how much would you pay to get an iPhone 4?

Last week, more than 1 million people snapped up the device in the U.S., Japan and other countries where it went on sale. But some Apple fans in Hong Kong, including visitors from China, couldn't wait, and in some cases paid more than $3,000 for a gray-market iPhone 4.

Lo Lau is earning a handsome profit before the iPhone 4's official debut in Hong Kong next month. He owns a handset store in Mongkok, a Hong Kong neighborhood that's well-known to anyone shopping for unlocked iPhones and other gray-market electronics.

'We bought about 30 iPhone 4 handsets from the United Kingdom and the U.S., and they were sold out quickly within a few hours,' Lau said. 'Many enthusiastic buyers have made pre-orders, awaiting our shipment of more gray-market iPhone 4s in the coming few days, and half of them are mainland Chinese visitors.'

Many of the cellphone shops inside Sincere Podium, a Mongkok electronics mall located in Mongkok, have eye-catching signs saying, 'The latest iPhone 4 is available!'

There are two types of gray-market iPhone 4s for sale: the locked U.S. model and an unlocked British version.

The locked U.S. models are going for $1,135 to $1,394, while the less-restricted unlocked iPhones start at a hefty $2,168 and go as high as $3,096.

'I am so excited now! I can own the latest version of iPhone finally,' said Karen Ho, who had just paid $1,264 at one of the handset stores for a locked iPhone 4.

Ho, who also owns an iPhone 3GS, added that she doesn't mind that she can't make calls with the locked device. 'To me, iPhone is a toy instead of a handset. I can't wait to play with the higher-resolution screen and new apps by connecting to Wi-Fi.'

For those holding out for a legal iPhone 4, local carriers such as Hutchison Telecommunications and SmarTone will offer the device in July.

Apple's Hong Kong spokeswoman Jill Tan declined to comment on the gray-market iPhone 4s. Officials at Hutchison Telecom and SmarTone said they have started allowing customers to pre-register online to purchase the new iPhone.

Associated Press苹果iPhone 4上市后热销美国及其他官方销售市场。
你想花多少钱买到一部iPhone 4？

上周100多万人在美国、日本和已销售iPhone 4的其他国家购买了该手机，但香港的一些苹果手机粉丝却等不及这款手机正式在港销售了，他们甚至不惜以3,000多美元的价格在黑市上购买一部iPhone 4，这些人中有些还是大陆游客。

小刘（Lo Lau）在iPhone 4于7月在香港正式上市前就已大赚了一笔。他在旺角有一家手机店，旺角在想买解码iPhone和其他黑市电子产品的人群中无人不知。

小刘说，我们从英国和美国购买了30部iPhone 4手机，在几个小时内就卖光了。许多热情的买家提前订货，等着我们在未来几天出售更多黑市iPhone 4，其中一半是大陆游客。

在位于旺角的电子产品商场──先达广场，许多手机店都打出了醒目招牌，上写“iPhone 4有售”

目前在黑市上有两种iPhone 4出售，一种是上锁的美国版手机，一种是解码的英国版手机。

上锁的美国版手机售价为1,135至1,394美元，而限制较少的解码iPhone起价为2,168美元，最高售价达到3,096美元。

刚刚在手机店以1,264美元购买了一部上锁iPhone 4的小何(Karen Ho)说，我太兴奋了，我终于有了最新版的iPhone。

同时还拥有iPhone 3GS的小何补充说，她不介意这部上锁手机不能打电话。对她来说，iPhone是玩具，而不是手机。小何说，我没有耐心等到高分辨率屏幕和连接到Wi-Fi的新功能出来才买。

对于那些等待正规渠道iPhone 4的消费者来说，和记电讯(Hutchison Telecommunications)及数码通(SmarTone)等本地电信运营商将在7月发售该手机。

苹果在香港的发言人Jill Tan拒绝就黑市iPhone 4发表评论。和记电讯和数码通的管理人士说，他们已开始允许客户在互联网上预订iPhone 4。