Apple will be re-thinking its approach in the Chinese market after the long-awaited launch of the iPhone 4S turned ugly late last week.

Sales of the device have been suspended at Apple's five retail stores - two in Beijing and three in Shanghai - after massive crowds caused chaos while queuing for the gadget.

At one location, in Beijing’s Sanlitun district, more than 400 people were reportedly waiting at 7am when the store was due to open, many having queued all night in freezing temperatures.

Staff refused to open the store for safety reasons, causing the crowd to chant obscenities and eventually pelt the store with eggs.

Many reports have suggested the crowd was mostly made up of people working for scalpers waiting to re-sell the phones right outside the store, for a huge mark-up. With a purchase limit of two per customer, the scalpers apparently needed a lot of people.

True fans will still be able to purchase their devices online, although they may have a bit of a wait.

For photos and video from the event, check out this report from MIC Gadget.