If you thought queuing overnight in freezing conditions was an extreme effort to get your hands on a piece of technology, you’ll be amazed by this story.
Two Chinese men were so desperate to buy an iPhone 6s that they not only waited in line for hours, they even decided that they would sell their own body parts in order to be able to buy a new smartphone, according to NDTV.
Friends plan to sell a kidney each to buy iPhone 6s
The website cites China Daily, which reports that Wu and Huang, two young men from China’s eastern Jiangsu Province, hatched a plan to buy the new smartphone when it launches in China on September 25. Wu was struggling to raise the necessary cash when Huang proposed they both sell a kidney in order to do so.
Apple announced that the iPhone 6s will sell for $1,450 in the country, leading to jokes in the press that consumers would have to sell a kidney to be able to afford it and People’s Daily Online recently ran a report on social media reactions to the announced retail price.
Wu and Huang decided to turn internet humor into reality, and went online. The pair apparently found a networking group on QQ, and members told them that a kidney could fetch between $15,000 and $30,000 depending on their blood type.
One man remains a fugitive suspected of organ trafficking
A person involved in the possible transaction told the men to undergo medical tests in Nangjing, where the average monthly income is the same as the price of the new handset. Their contact never showed, leading to conflict between the two men after Wu declared that he was having second thoughts. Huang insisted that they follow through with the plan, and remains on the run after Wu called the police.
Police suspect that Huang wanted to entrap his friend into selling his organ illegally, and may have stood to profit from the sale. Wu says he still wants an iPhone 6s, but he won’t be selling any organs to get one.
Chinese consumers have a history of going to great lengths to buy Apple products. In 2012 a teenager reportedly sold a kidney to buy an iPhone and an iPad, while in 2011 a couple effectively sold their third child online to buy an iPhone.
