Following an overwhelming launch day for the iPhone 4S in China plagued by massive crowds of scalpers, Apple suspended in-store sales of the device to walk-in customers and employed a lottery system for reservations that did not operate on a first-come-first-serve basis. Customers also had to bring government-issued ID when picking up their device. Apple confirmed on its website it will be doing the same for the new iPad launch with reservations beginning the morning of March 15 and pick ups available March 16 at the IFC Mall store in Hong Kong.
Apple’s website does not specify when the reservation system will open, but we confirmed the new iPad will go on sale in Apple stores stateside on March 16 at 8 a.m. As spotted by Engadget, notices were also posted outside of the IFC Mall store in Hong Kong to warn customers about not to lining up:
The notices do not seem to be posted by Apple due to the grammar, spelling of “iPad,” and lack of a logo. A building manager or someone who would normally be preparing for the long lines likely posted them. Even with several notices around the flagship IFC mall store, Engadget reported scalpers are continuing to line up despite requests from police to vacate the area. Below is an image of the lines starting to form outside the store:
