Chungking Mansions-home of the bandit phone

Chungking Mansions, home of the ‘bandit phone’

IAIN MARLOW

HONG KONG — The Globe and Mail

Published Thursday, Oct. 06, 2011 7:17PM EDT

Last updated Thursday, Sep. 06, 2012 10:37AM EDT

After strolling past Pakistani food stalls on the first floor of Hong Kong’s ramshackle Chungking Mansions tower block, Dixon, a 32-year-old trader from West Africa, points to one of the bustling market’s most popular products. “See, this one looks like a BlackBerry,” he says, peering through a glass case at a white knockoff version of Research In Motion Ltd.’s signature smart phone. “That’s why I love ‘China phones.’ People say they’re sexy.”