Sign up for a new account or log in here:
also @ TechSpot: iTunes 11.0.3 delivers revamped MiniPlayer, security fixes
Home › News › Mobile Computing
BlackBerry launch event in Indonesia turns violent
A scheduled smartphone launch event in Indonesia has turned ugly and resulted in coordinators canceling the event early. Thousands of people showed up to get their hands on the latest BlackBerry mobile phone but when rumors began to spread that the device was sold out, chaos took over.
Research in Motion chose Indonesia as the first country to receive the BlackBerry Bellagio, otherwise known as the BlackBerry Bold 9790. BlackBerry handsets are still wildly popular in Indonesia and as such, organizers set up a special event at the Pacific Place mall in Jakarta to celebrate the event. RIM offered a 50 percent discount to the first 1000 people to purchase the phone which prompted a line to form a day before the event.
Those eligible for the discount were initially given a red wristband but as the crowd swelled, organizers announced that everyone on hand would get a phone. It wasn’t long before rumors spread that the phone had sold out and people lost their patience.
One thing led to another and potential buyers stormed security barriers to try and get their hands on the new phone. The Jakarta Globe is reporting that as many as 90 people had to be treated for injuries ranging from broken or fractured bones to unconsciousness.
Around 200 police officers and security guards were dispatched to control the chaos and as a result, the event was canceled prematurely to ensure everyone’s safety.
Related Products from Product Finder
AT&T BlackBerry 9700 Bold
Read expert reviews, pros & cons, and product information about AT&T BlackBerry 9700 Bold. There are 96 reviews available so far.
RIM BlackBerry 9900 Bold
The BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 (also known as Bold Touch) was introduced in August 2011, it is the first of the Bold line to provide a touchscreen. It marks a return to the form factor of the original 9000 and its popular wide-set physical keyboard. It's promoted as the thinnest Blackberry ever.
T-Mobile BlackBerry 9780 Bold
Read expert reviews, pros & cons, and product information about T-Mobile BlackBerry 9780 Bold. There are 40 reviews available so far.
User Comments: 20
Got something to say? Post a comment-
All of that for a smartphone. I don't own a smartphone (nor tablet) and rarely carry around a dumb cell phone.
-
rofl humanity is so low nowdays rofl... earth need to reset
-
Lol! for a Blackberry?! Really?!
-
seriously people need more hobbies than looking for the latest crap to buy.
-
Smartphone is not the worst hobby thought... it has a practical aspect to it. Video gaming on the other hand is much worse(I do)
-
For a moment I thought that was a Black Friday event.
-
yes , because all indonesian people buy blackberry likely that only for get BBM features only
Note : I'm from indonesian
-
Even a dumb person would have a 'smart'phone nowadays.
-
shameless chaos, 90 BB clients seriously injured in INDONESIA
-
Once Indonesia put a name in Techspot, it's because of Blackberry and violent?
I'm Indonesian, and I'm ashamed for this..
-
Not suprising, even football tournament in Indonesia last week resulting in chaos and death.
What a uncivilized lots.
-
smartphones + dumb people = chaos
luckily, i still have my old reliable nokia 6120c and nokia 7210
-
These people need internet....Blackberry is dieing.....get a real phone!
-
only "The Civilized Modern Store-Front" sells "Online"
learn to sell INDONESIA !
-
Renrew said:
No mob mentality excuse for lawless actions like these, no matter where they occur.
-
typical uneducated indonesian teen behaviour
-
in Indonesia, Blackberry is the latest trend right now.. ur friends, clients, colleagues,etc demands you to buy one so they can keep in touch with you via Blackberry Messenger.. you don't have Blackberry then u were left behind and (might) excluded from society..
-
Guest
on November 26, 2011
6:13 AM Not suprising, even football tournament in Indonesia last week resulting in chaos and death.
What a uncivilized lots.
----------------------
Yeah....you would say Hooligans are highly civilized even they made worse chaos. Are you racist?
-
I'm with you, he's racist.
Note: I'm an Indian,not an Indonesian
-
as expected
Most Popular
| Trending | Featured |
-
Microsoft launches YouTube app, Google demands it taken down
-
Nvidia Shield arrives in June for $349, pre-orders open now (update)
-
Bill Gates is once again the richest person in the world
-
Asus' new lineup of Z87 Haswell motherboards revealed
-
Google, NASA join forces to build quantum computing laboratory
Subscribe to TechSpot
Get free exclusive content, learn about new features and breaking tech news.