BEIJING, CHINA: Though iPhone 4, which made an international debut recently, is yet to be launched in China, the trendy smartphone is easily available in the grey market.

According to China Daily, Apple's latest gadget is already being sold in Beijing's electronics hub of Zhongguancun and the price is much much higher than in the US.

The price of the privately imported iPhone 4s ranges from 9,500 (1397 dollars) yuan to 17,000 yuan (2,500 dollars), compared to the retail price of 199 dollars (about 1,360 yuan) in the US. Even the 32 GB version is priced at 299 dollars in the US, which equals to 2,050 yuan, while the same version is priced at 12,500 yuan in China.

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This is an indication that the new gadget would be a hit in the market. Within three days of launch, Apple had sold 1.7 million units of the iPhone 4.

“We have already sold one iPhone 4 last week. The 32 GB version of iPhone 4, which is web-locked from America, is 9,400 yuan and the unlocked one, from Germany, is 12,500 yuan,” the report quoted a salesperson as saying.

And in some other shops the price is even higher.

“The price of the 32 GB version of iPhone 4 is 11,000 yuan for the web-locked one and 17,000 for the unlocked ones,” said another shop owner.

The phones are being smuggled into the country to satisfy demand while talks continue to find an official supplier of the phone in China, said the report.

China Unicom has said it is in talks with Apple to sell the 4G handset and the iPad.