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The only way to get an iPhone 5 in Hong Kong is to win the lottery

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:38PM EST
BGR

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Apple’s (AAPL) new iPhone 5 is still a hot ticket item around the world, and buying one is becoming an increasingly difficult task in most regions. New U.S. orders placed using Apple’s online store currently ship in 3-4 weeks, which seems like a terribly long time to wait for a new smartphone — unless you live in Hong Kong. According to Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White, the only way a new iPhone 5 purchased through Apple can be picked up at an Apple Store is by being selected in a special lottery.

“At Apple’s retail store, the iPhone 5 can be ordered online and a lottery process determines who is eligible for pickup at the store the next day,” White told AllThingsD after a visit to Hong Kong. “Based on our conversations, you might have a better shot at winning [an actual] lottery than getting the iPhone 5 the next day.”

Apple sold more than 5 million iPhone 5 handsets during the device’s first three days of availability and strong demand has seemingly still not subsided.

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Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.