Sunday, July 20, 2008

Douche Bags Of The Week: iPhone Nuts

Don't get me wrong. I'm all about Apple. I'm writing this post on an iBook and have a 24" iMac. But these douchebags who are paying over $1K for an iPhone? Seriously, talk about having issues. They have more money than brains.

In the Soviet days, Russians asked their American friends to bring blue jeans, rock records and other Western goods into the country. Today Russians can buy almost anything they want here — but they are still begging for one item: Apple Inc.'s slick iPhone.

The new iPhone went on sale in 21 countries July 11 and will soon be released in 70 nations. Officially, Russia and China are still on hold — neither last year's original iPhone nor the updated model have been launched in those countries because Apple is still negotiating with mobile service providers. And yet analysts estimate that only the U.S. has more iPhone users than Russia and China.

In both countries, the device enjoys super-exclusive status, thanks to a thriving market for "unlocked" iPhones adapted for local use. Even Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has been seen using one. [My notation: Great, even the Russian President is a pirate. Arrrrrrr, matey, lets blatantly steal from the stupid Americans!]

Moscow and Beijing have become an iPhone trader's paradise. Russian Web sites were offering the new 3G iPhone for about $1,200, six times the $199 base price in the U.S. Even Apple's first-edition 8-gigabyte iPhone was going for almost as much at Moscow's Gorbushka electronics market this week, though Moscow iPhone owners said a skilled bargain hunter could find one for about $775.
I'm in the market for a new cellphone, and it'll probably be the new iPhone, but you won't find me waiting in line, paying over the MSRP, or any of that shit. It's a phone, people!
*

1 comment:

Jodi said...

My niece bought an iPhone 2 weeks before they announced the new one coming out a few months ago. She was kicking herself in the ass. It is pretty neat though. I've tried it. I love the large screen and when you turn it sideways it goes on full screen. The only thing is she had to upgrade her plan for the data I guess. I think it is costing her $30 more a month.

Some of these people are insane though to spend that kind of money on a phone though. Supply and demand.