iPhones sold in HK won't get China warranty

It seems that Apple in China will not support any warranty maintenance or repairs for iPhone 5c and 5c units bought in Hong Kong.

An staff member in the company's Shanghai store explained that iPhone 5s sold in Hong Kong was the generic model, A1530, which was different from the A1528 model sold in the Chinese mainland. Therefore, iPhone 5s bought in Hong Kong will not enjoy free parts replacement or repair--a common maintenance practice for Apple products--even if the product is still under warranty, according to a NetEase report. The rule also applies to the maintenance of iPhone 5c for similar reasons.

Whether iPhone 5s and 5c models bought in Hong Kong will receive warranty support in China in future remains "unknown", according to Apple's Genius Bar staff and customer relies. 

It is unlikely, however, that mainland consumers will stop purchasing iPhone 5s and 5c in Hong Kong due to the notable pricing disparity between the two markets. In Hong Kong, the iPhone 5s 16GB model is priced at only HK$5,588 (US$721), compared to the 5,288 yuan (US$864) price-tag in China, giving huge profits for parallel traders.

The gold-colored iPhone 5s is still sought after by Chinese consumers. In Hong Kong, some digital shops posted advertisements outside their shops, saying they will purchase gold-colored iPhone 5s 16G model for up to HK$8,800 ($1,135.2) per set from consumers. 

The silver and black iPhone 5s are less popular. In fact, China Telecom in Beijing cut the retail prices of iPhone 5s 16G to 4,988 yuan (US$815.5) a set, 300 yuan (US$50) cheaper than the official price set by Apple. The pricecuts only apply to the silver and black iPhone 5s, while the gold-colored model remains unchanged.