14 DAY TRIAL // This you won't believe. Apple's iPhone 3G, as you've probably already heard, is launching in 21 new countries starting today. While some markets are packed full of iPhone fans just waiting to grab the handset, in other territories, such as Poland, people aren't that keen on buying the new device. This has sparked the unusual trend of carriers paying people to queue up, in an attempt to dupe passers-by into believing that they're waiting to purchase the elusive iPhone 3G.
Reuters points out that when Apple launched its new iPhone in the United States, "some fans paid big money to be among the first to get their hands on the device." The situation in countries like Poland, however, is very different. "In Poland, people are getting paid to line up. [...] As part of a marketing campaign ahead of the iPhone's Friday launch in Poland, the country's largest mobile operator Orange is paying dozens of actors to stand in queues," the publication says.
If you're having trouble believing this is true, here comes the part you will simply refuse to accept as a reality. Orange is the largest mobile carrier in Poland, and one of the carriers entitled by Apple to sell the new iPhone 3G, under its available plans. An Orange spokesman actually admitted to the press that they were the ones behind the (lame) initiative. "We have these fake queues [in] front of 20 stores around the country to drum up interest in the iPhone," the spokesperson allegedly stated.
"Apple sold about one million of the new iPhone models in the United States around the July launch weekend, but buyers in Poland may be reluctant to pay hefty monthly charges," the Reuters report reads. No kidding? Then, it seems like Apple should have thought twice about launching its iPhone there.
Are you a Poland resident? How many of the people you know do you think can afford buying the new iPhone 3G, as well as the plan required for activating the device? In fact, the question goes for everyone, not just for Polish readers.
Update: it has come to our attention that Orange Poland has denied hiring people to sit in fake iPhone 3G queues. The article has been modified accordingly.