Business

Thousands queue in Indonesia to buy new Blackberry

Posted November 24, 2011 11:00 pm

Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Thousands of Indonesians jammed into a glitzy shopping mall Friday to get hold of the first BlackBerry Bold 9790s being sold worldwide.

Fearing a riot, hundreds of police were deployed outside, tying up traffic in the heart of the capital for hours.

With a 50 percent discount on the $540 phone for the first 1,000 buyers, lines started forming in front of Pacific Place mall on Thursday night. By daybreak, impatient shoppers started rattling the gates.

And when rumors spread that the new smartphones — commonly known as Bellagio — had already sold out, the crowd of 3,000 went crazy. Several people fainted in the crush.

Indonesia, a nation of 240 million people, has experienced a come-from-nowhere tech frenzy in recent years.

With 6 million users, BlackBerry dominates the smartphone market.

Impatient Indonesians raise their fists to show their priority wrist bands as they queue up to buy the new BlackBerry 9790 at discounted price for the first 1,000 buyers outside a shopping mall in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Nov. 25, 2011. Thousands of Indonesians jammed into a glitzy shopping mall Friday to get hold of the first BlackBerry Bold 9790s being sold worldwide. Associated Press

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