One of the photos posted by a Sina Weibo user, who said the beggar on the right is using a handset that resembles the iPhone 6.

Beggar with 'iPhone 6' goes viral

Photos showing a subway beggar using what appears to be an iPhone 6 have gone viral online.

A web user published the photos on Sina Weibo, a popular Chinese social networking site, in late November. He said the photos were taken at Fuxingmen Station on Beijing Subway Line 2, where several beggars counted their money, and one used what appeared to be an iPhone 6 to take a picture of his spoils.

The web user also said in a later post that the device might have been a domestically-produced fake iPhone, or some other brand, because he just saw the beggar using it from a distance and didn't check with the beggar.

Some web users commented if they can afford such an expensive device then they don't deserve sympathy. Reports have shed light on beggars who fake their poverty, with some professional beggars on the Beijing Subway receiving substantial sums.