Lines Begin Forming at Apple Retail Stores Ahead of iPhone 4S Launch

[MacRumors]

While a few committed individuals have been camping out for the iPhone 4S for some time now, others are now beginning to filter toward their local Apple retail stores in their attempts to secure one of the new models first thing tomorrow morning.

We've yet to hear much from Australia, where stores in the eastern part of the country will be the first to open for iPhone 4S sales just a few hours from now. But lines are already long in Japan, another early launch market for the device, with Guillaume Erard reporting that there were over 100 people in line at Apple's Shibuya retail store in Tokyo a full 11 hours before launch time.

iPhone 4S line at London's Regent Street retail store (Source: @tgrande)

Some of Apple's flagship stores in London are also beginning to see substantial lines forming, as evidenced by photos from Regent Street and Covent Garden stores.

iPhone 4S line at London's Covent Garden retail store (Thanks, Mike!)

Things still appear to be relatively quiet in the United States and Canada nearly 17 hours before the first launches, as we've been receiving scattered reports of lines beginning to form but with only a handful of people encamped at most of the stores from which we've received reports.

MacRumors forum members looking to organize meetups for the iPhone 4S launch are getting together in our dedicated forum.

Update: MacRecord noted earlier today that there were over 100 people (and now up to 150) in line at the Opéra retail store in Paris.




Update 2: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is reportedly the first and only person in line so far at the Los Gatos retail store in California.

Article Link: Lines Begin Forming at Apple Retail Stores Ahead of iPhone 4S Launch

[benhollberg]

At the Apple Store, The Gateway in Salt Lake City there is a line. I am in it. People have been here since 10:00 p.m. MT on Wednesday.

[Telp]

Oh how I'm going to miss waiting in line at the apple store. It's so part of the experience. Damn copious amounts of class and school work.

[zorinlynx]

Why the heck can't they give these people numbers and tell them to come back tomorrow? Seems cruel to make them wait all night when all the store needs is proof they were there first.

They're already putting out barriers and such, so they obviously have the fact that people will be waiting in mind. Is it that hard to set up a ticket system?

[RalfTheDog]

Originally Posted by benhollberg

At the Apple Store, The Gateway in Salt Lake City there is a line. I am in it. People have been here since 10:00 p.m. MT on Wednesday.

Great phone, I plan to get one tomorrow, however, that strikes me as a bit early.

[DogHouseDub]

Originally Posted by benhollberg

At the Apple Store, The Gateway in Salt Lake City there is a line. I am in it. People have been here since 10:00 p.m. MT on Wednesday.

Fantastic! So can you tell me why someone would wait 48+ hours in a line to buy an item that could be ordered online and delivered directly to them?

[WAM2]

Originally Posted by benhollberg

At the Apple Store, The Gateway in Salt Lake City there is a line. I am in it. People have been here since 10:00 p.m. MT on Wednesday.

GAH i wanna goto my Apple Store ^_^ I Just don't have the patience or money!

[Dr Kevorkian94]

Is anyone going to the apple store in Staten Island? Is there anyone there yet because i don't think there was anyone there yesterday.

Regardless i hope to be there at 3 in the morning tomorrow.

[nwcs]

Maybe I ought to head over to Apple Store when my preorder gets here tomorrow and walk to the line and say, "Siri, why didn't these people preorder?"

[Marzzz]

Actually, the mass of people at the Covent Garden store is to prevent any more smash and grabs in the middle of the night. Seriously though, if you are ever in London the store is totally worth checking out, just beautiful.

[musicpenguy]

My local Apple store said even though it was an outdoor mall that mall cops would prevent overnight lines ...

[allmanbrother]

Too bad my nearest store is in a shopping mall so they don't allow anyone in until 4AM

[xFenixKnightx]

Do people not understand that this phone isnt that much different from the 4??

[Pink∆Floyd]

Let the games begin!

[jon1987]

Originally Posted by zorinlynx

Why the heck can't they give these people numbers and tell them to come back tomorrow? Seems cruel to make them wait all night when all the store needs is proof they were there first.

They're already putting out barriers and such, so they obviously have the fact that people will be waiting in mind. Is it that hard to set up a ticket system?

The thing is the store would need to set a time to start giving the tickets out, otherwise people would be there a week early to pick the tickets up.

So if there is a set time that the tickets get given out, people would line up hours in advance for the tickets.

[crisss1205]

Originally Posted by Telp

Oh how I'm going to miss waiting in line at the apple store. It's so part of the experience. Damn copious amounts of class and school work.

My first class isn't until 11:45 tomorrow so I could have waited in line but its starting to get cold out and I don't feel like doing it this time of year. Thats why I just pre-ordered.

[mklaman]

Originally Posted by zorinlynx

Why the heck can't they give these people numbers and tell them to come back tomorrow? Seems cruel to make them wait all night when all the store needs is proof they were there first.

They're already putting out barriers and such, so they obviously have the fact that people will be waiting in mind. Is it that hard to set up a ticket system?

really dude? cruel that these people CHOOSE to wait in line?

give them a number? haha then give me a number (#1) for next years iPhone 5. dumb.

[chrmjenkins]

Originally Posted by DogHouseDub

Fantastic! So can you tell me why someone would wait 48+ hours in a line to buy an item that could be ordered online and delivered directly to them?

Obviously not if pre-orders are sold out. Had they pre-ordered online, the people they pushed out would be in the lines instead. There's going to be a line, especially if the line is the only way to ensure getting one on day one now.

[crisss1205]

Originally Posted by musicpenguy

My local Apple store said even though it was an outdoor mall that mall cops would prevent overnight lines ...

They told me that last year but then came back around 2AM and they said they couldn't control the crowds anymore so they just let them stay there.

[Shrink]

Originally Posted by nwcs

Maybe I ought to head over to Apple Store when my preorder gets here tomorrow and walk to the line and say, "Siri, why didn't these people preorder?"

Nasty.

Funny, but definitely nasty.

[mbh]

Originally Posted by zorinlynx

Why the heck can't they give these people numbers and tell them to come back tomorrow? Seems cruel to make them wait all night when all the store needs is proof they were there first.

They're already putting out barriers and such, so they obviously have the fact that people will be waiting in mind. Is it that hard to set up a ticket system?

If Apple said they were going to hand out tickets at a certain point, people would just start queuing up early to get a low number.

The current situation is the simple solution.

[samcraig]

seems as though these stories were bigger/got more attention with the iPhone 4 release. Are outlets behind on the story - or are people not lining up as soon?

[Fraaaa]

I stop queueing when I realised that I can easily preorder at the carrier shop, then wake up 8:40, and walk to my local carrier shop and wait with other 5-10 people and pick my iPhone4S. That is what happened with the iPhone4 launch too.

[snowcrash]

Originally Posted by nwcs

Maybe I ought to head over to Apple Store when my preorder gets here tomorrow and walk to the line and say, "Siri, why didn't these people preorder?"

I just may do that!

Honestly though, why don't people just pre-order? I ordered mine at about 6pm on Friday from AT&T and it's on it's way. Tracking number and confirmed for tomorrow. And since some pre-orders have already been received you're really not going to be the "first" iPhone 4S person out there. (though NEVER understood the draw to that either)

[alent1234]

Originally Posted by DogHouseDub

Fantastic! So can you tell me why someone would wait 48+ hours in a line to buy an item that could be ordered online and delivered directly to them?

if anything like the iphone 4 apple will give inventory preference to the retail stores. no reason to have the stores if you're shipping everything to online orders