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It was fun as an employee. In the crazy early day launches before online orders, I once counted 1500 people in line at my local suburban mall store. I would do the overnight shift to set them all up. Arrive at 9pm night before, work through 6am. Then stay to watch the opening :)

It’s odd to think that likely every phone that sold that day is no longer in use and in a landfill.
 
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It was fun as an employee. In the crazy early day launches before online orders, I once counted 1500 people in line at my local suburban mall store. I would do the overnight shift to set them all up. Arrive at 9pm night before, work through 6am. Then stay to watch the opening :)

Yep. I worked in a phone store and iPhone launch was always super fun. Lines out the door, we’d have music and food and just have a great time with excited customers.

I still remember showing the line the iPhone 6 and 6+ demo as I set it up through the closed shop windows.
 
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I remember I stood in line for the 4 and got to the mall at 3 AM. I had a reservation, so I got mine pretty quickly. I went back to the mall for lunch and stopped by and checked the line. Some people who were much further ahead of me in line were still waiting in line. This was about 5 hours later. They didn’t have a reservation. That was also the last time I waited in a long line. Everything else has been pickup down the road after launch day comes and goes.
 
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It was fun as an employee. In the crazy early day launches before online orders, I once counted 1500 people in line at my local suburban mall store. I would do the overnight shift to set them all up. Arrive at 9pm night before, work through 6am. Then stay to watch the opening :)
What fun memory!
 
I just got an email for my brand new iPhone 12 Pro Pacific Blue 256GB stating that it was ready for Pickup😱. I had my appointment for In Store Pickup tomorrow and I’m in The East Coast
 
I can understand those waiting for a PS5 or Xbox not that I'd stay outside over night for one but I guess from what I've heard it's more about the socializing and friendship.
Pretty much. There’s not ever a line of folks just standing there, cards in hand silently waiting for the doors to open. It ends up being MacRumors forum, just in person... folks that have been around for awhile, some that are new. And, whatever you’re in line for, you know that you at least have that ONE thing in common, that you can say you’ve STOOD for something! LOL

And, really, if you don’t have a credit card or have one and missed the preorder window (and want in less than 2 months), you’re either standing before the store opens... or standing after the store opens :)
 
I’m kinda surprised people still line up. It use to be fun but now pre ordering is so much easier
 
You would have if Apple agreed to pay the delivery company the premium for public holiday or Saturday deliveries.
Apparently they still deliver on public holidays. I think it’s more to do with they stage 4 restrictions
 
Does anyone else think people should just live in the moment instead of recording a POV of entering an Apple store for a phone that’s been around forever? Just be present and enjoy the moment instead of making it so weird and disconnected.
 
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