I've never bought an Apple product on launch day but for my first iPhone this fall (5S) I intend on doing so. Does anyone have any experience on how this works? I know that with the 5 there was a reservation system. Did only people who reserved their iPhone line up at Apple stores? Or can you receive the iPhone through preordering on launch day? Also: do malls with Apple Stores allow people to line up inside early in the morning?
This is my knowledge on the subject, you can preorder and pick it up in stores on the first day, but also people just line up to buy it there, first come, first served.
I ordered the iPad 3 on launch day, took about a week or two to get there. (the most anxious Ive been in my life). It was easier, but the wait was painful. If you preorder it online, do make sure its right after midnight that preorders start. The quicker you get your order in, the faster it will get to you. As more people order, the wait times mover to 3 to 4+ weeks.
Alternatively, I live in New Orleans, where the only official Apple store is at the Lakeside Mall. I got my iPad mini around noon on launch day, to my suprise they still had 32GB minis available. Guess the population here is small enough to where there arent those crazy maniacs waiting days in line, or the fan base for iProducts is small here. But I asked "how bad was the line in the morning" they said not bad at all, no more than 20 or so people they said. They say its worse for iPhones because third party retailer individuals wait in line and buy the (i think) non-ATT iphones, or maybe just the ATT iphones, because one or the other didnt have a limit on how many they could purchase. But as long as the mall is open, people can start lining up outside the store.