Teen sells kidney to fund iPhone, iPad purchase; faces trial

How far would you go to buy your favourite piece of technology? A teenager in China sold his kidney for 22,000 yuan to buy an iPhone and an iPad in April this year, reports The Daily Mail. 17-year-old Wang Shangkun from Anhui is reportedly suffering from renal deficiency, after he underwent a surgery to get one of his kidneys removed. Five people, including the surgeon, are now facing charges for causing intentional injury and illegal organ trading. If convicted, the five accused in the case could face up to 10 years in prison.

Boy sells kidney to fund iPhone, iPad purchase

The alleged organ harvesters received 220,000 yuan from the buyer of the kidney, ten times the amount Wang was paid. The sum was divided between the surgeon, the leader of the gang, three other defendants, and other medical staff. The entire incident came to light, when Wang admitted to his mother that he sold his kidney to pay for the expensive gadgets. Anhui, the place Wang lives in, is one of the poorest provinces in China. The Daily Mail report added, "The organ industry in China is booming and trading organs is a widespread online practice in the country".

Apple products are undoubtedly popular and much sought after the world over. In China, there is a huge fan following for the company's products, but many find these gadgets beyond their means. Worryingly, Wang's condition is now dipping. 

The iPad is one of Apple's most popular products. Apple has managed to sell an impressive 34 million iPads since early 2011. In fact, since April 2010, Apple has sold a total of 34 million iPads, 62.8 million iPhones and 25.3 million iPod Touches. In all, Apple managed to ship 85.9 million iPhones, 46.6 million iPod Touches and 34 million iPads in the U.S. since 2007. 

There are a lot of rumours about a smaller iPad, commonly referred to as the iPad mini. As of now, there is no official word about this tablet by Apple, but there are various reports surrounding its launch in the near future. The iPad mini is expected to feature a display of 7.85 inches and will compete directly with the Google Nexus 7, the 7-inch flagship Google tablet, which is doing really well in the market. This smaller iPad is also expected to feature a smaller dock connector and a microphone at the back. The microphone on the rear will assist the device in noise cancellation during video calls that can be done using Apple’s FaceTime or through Skype.