iPhone 7 Lines Start Growing Ahead of Friday's Launch

[Daniel Reed]

Much smaller lines then in years past.

By this time 2 or 3 years ago in San Francisco, the line would be well around the block - starting a week before the release date.

 

[MH01]

Apple fans are just like sports fan. They get line to get the product/service they want. Yes everybody knows we can just preorder from the comfort of our bed, but the people who wait in front of the stores do it for the experience. I don't understand how people just gotta be rude to die hard fans.

It's funny. My mother who grew up under communism, said the same thing, she got this experience for free.......but never again. Everytime she sees lines outside apple stores she is disappointed people are doing it to buy privileged goods.

From a community / fan point of view, I get it, but it's kinda like going to comicon, you like it , but don't really want to be seen entering and leaving by the general public who think you are weird

 

[Beck Show]

Judge, point fingers, judge some more....I don't understand why people find it necessary to berate or bad mouth any of these people that are opting to wait in line. Obviously they enjoy it or are doing it for others reasons. Regardless, why does it matter?

 

[MH01]

Aren't these people wasting their time? I just read on 9to5mac that there will be limited to no stock for walk ins, only for reservations.

The apple staff are helpful, they give the growd an indication of how much stock is on hand. Last year I saw them hand out reservation cards, which assume had the model the people wanted.

 

[TallManNY]

The release of iOS 10 is far more game changing that iPhone 7. I think the imessage improvements are going to create huge lock in and will also attract people from Android.

 

[Beck Show]

After 9 years it's still an experience? Really?

I think you may be assuming they are the same people every year. In actuality, there may be a host of first timers or new Apple fans wanting the experience.

 

[OneMike]

i can camp 3-4 hours. beyond that is too much.

 

[malexandria]

Let's see, I know many people with Android phones, none of which have ever insisted on pre ordering, or having it the morning of launch day. Your point is good about artificial demand, but at the end of the day the passion in the customer base is far less with Android.

Who cares about Passion? That's a stupid "benchmark" and doesn't say much for the base. "Oh I have an iPhone and I'm passionate about it. I want to sleep with it." Android users are just more rational and practical, which is why they have Android Phones and you ignore my point they don't NEED to sleep outside to get one because there's always enough supply to meet demand. And I say this as someone who has every something from every Apple Product Category accept the stupid iWatch (which I did own and returned on 4 separate occasions) and I guess an iMac (even though I did own one in the past).

 

[Beck Show]

How are people still lining up in 2016?

I don't quite understand what the year has to do with it but they are lining up the same way they have for every other release.

 

[marcobalto]

Pathetic how obsessed and bought off people have become with gadgets and gizmos.

I'll bet you say this every time a new gadget or gizmo comes out. Let it go. Just because you don't get excited by these new gadget and gizmos doesn't mean those who do are any more pathetic than you. Seriously, just Let. It. Go.

 

[dav1dd]

I'm surprised people still do this.

 

[tarf]

With just two days to go until the official launch of the iPhone 7, customers who are hoping to get their hands on one of Apple's devices have started lining up outside of Apple retail locations around the world.

At the 5th Avenue Apple Store in New York, one of Apple's flagship locations, people have been waiting in line for days, saving spots with folding chairs and small one-person tents. Other stores in New York also have short lines at this time, based on photos sent in by MacRumors readers.

Instagram image via Olaenglund​

At Apple's new San Francisco location, Apple Union Square, a handful of people are already waiting outside for an iPhone 7. People started lining up over the weekend.

Instagram image via Minoyohan​

At the Summerlin Apple Store in Las Vegas, MacStadium's Brian Stucki set up a webcam to monitor the crowd situation. No one is waiting in line yet, but it should be a fun way to watch how activity progresses over the course of the rest of the week.

Shipping estimates on some of the most popular Black and Jet Black iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models range into several weeks and last until November in some cases, so waiting in line on launch day is the only way to get one of the highly coveted devices if you missed out on pre-orders.

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus launch on Friday, September 16, and will debut first in Australia. It's Thursday morning in the country, so there's just a day to go until people start getting their hands on devices and sharing videos, pictures, and first impressions.

Article Link: iPhone 7 Lines Start Growing Ahead of Friday's Launch

[doublepost=1473896787][/doublepost]"The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus launch on Friday, September 16, and will debut first in Australia"

Actually, it will debut in New Zealand, which sees the day before Australia and the iPhone is sold here first.

 

[JohnApples]

Lining up for a phone? How pathetic! What a waste of time! I've got much better things to do, like browsing and posting opinions on a Rumors site about the same phone.

 

[chriscrowlee]

Who cares about Passion? That's a stupid "benchmark." Android users are just more rational and practical, which is why they have Android Phones

I'm fairly certain passion for a product\service is the one thing that they strive for in their customer base more than anything else. It's exactly what causes people to be willing to line up days in advance, and what gets people up at midnight to 3am to go online and pre-order it.

Saying Android users are more rational and practical is like saying oat bread is more airy than wheat bread. It's pure conjecture.

 

[Saturn007]

I shake my head at people who do this; yet recognize the fun, the experience, and camaraderie they get out of it.

We may label it silly or a waste of time, but as one poster pointed out above, we all have hobbies, pastimes that others cannot believe people spend time at or money on.

1. Hitting a yellow ball back and forth across a net.

2. Outdoor camping when the ground is hard, the air bag uncomfortable, the rain or mosquitos or cold inevitable, etc.

3. Going to a rock concert where you can only see the performer on a Jumbotron! And the music is so loud, your ears ring for days if not weeks afterwards.

4. Expensive diamond rings.

5. Large-scale ephemeral weddings that are so cliche, they all look the same and nearly bankrupt the bride's family! Time and money could have been better spent on a house downpayment.

6. People going to midnight showings of movies and spending $20-30 on an event they could enjoy more comfortably at home in their pajamas...

7. People going to drive-ins (the few that are left) and listening to a movie through a tinny speaker hung on the window!

8. People going to loud, smoky bars where there is often a line to get drinks!

You get the drift?! One man's treasure is another man's poison.

The ancient Romans had it right:

"De gustibus non est disputandum"!​

 

[Beck Show]

because it's literally pathetic to wait in line for days so that you can spend money on a phone. and this is coming from a "die hard" apple fan.

In your opinion, right?

 

[noobinator]

Some people don't live in homes where its safe to have a $600+ object site on their door stoop.

They won't leave it without a signature. You can pick it up at ups/fedex.

 

[Born Again]

I shake my head at people who do this; yet recognize the fun, the experience, and camaraderie they get out of it.

We may label it silly or a waste of time, but as one poster pointed out above, we all have hobbies, pastimes that others cannot believe people spend time at or money on.

1. Hitting a yellow ball back and forth across a net.

2. Outdoor camping when the ground is hard, the air bag uncomfortable, the rain or mosquitos or cold inevitable, etc.

3. Going to a rock concert where you can only see the performer on a Jumbotron! And the music is so loud, your ears ring for days if not weeks afterwards.

4. Expensive diamond rings.

5. Large-scale ephemeral weddings that are so cliche, they all look the same and nearly bankrupt the bride's family! Time and money could have been better spent on a house downpayment.

6. People going to midnight showings of movies and spending $20-30 on an event they could enjoy more comfortably at home in their pajamas...

7. People going to drive-ins (the few that are left) and listening to a movie through a tinny speaker hung on the window!

8. People going to loud, smoky bars where there is often a line to get drinks!

You get the drift?! One man's treasure is another man's poison.

The ancient Romans had it right:

"De gustibus non est disputandum"!​

many of those items are social activities . this is buying a common item and wasting 2 days for.

 

[fermat-au]

Yesterday there were already at least have a dozen people lined up out side the Sydney Store. I do find it rather strange that people are lining up and pre-ordering, but Apple hasn't given people the opportunity to see the iPhone 7 in person yet. Is there a reason that Apple don't put the new iPhone on display when it goes on pre-order? If you want to buy the new iPhone and not have to wait a month or so, you need to order before you have seen it in person.

 

[chriscrowlee]

i can camp 3-4 hours. beyond that is too much.

I made it about 4 hours once camping... and then the satellite lost it's signal and it was no fun anymore. I got in the driver seat and drove the RV to the Hilton.
[doublepost=1473897442][/doublepost]

Yesterday there were already at least have a dozen people lined up out side the Sydney Store. I do find it rather strange that people are lining up and pre-ordering, but Apple hasn't given people the opportunity to see the iPhone 7 in person yet. Is there a reason that Apple don't put the new iPhone on display when it goes on pre-order? If you want to buy the new iPhone and not have to wait a month or so, you need to order before you have seen it in person.

They did that with the MacBook 2 years ago and the internet practically crucified Angela Ahrendts... "how dare they put something on display and not let me buy it!" LOL... yep I said that.

But seriously, I wish they'd cut down on display units... most stores have about 40 phones on display... x 500 Apple Stores, that'd be about 20,000 additional customers who could have their pre-orders launch day.

 

[MH01]

[doublepost=1473896787][/doublepost]"The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus launch on Friday, September 16, and will debut first in Australia"

Actually, it will debut in New Zealand, which sees the day before Australia and the iPhone is sold here first.

Yeah but there in no official Apple Store , so usually Sydney gets the worlds media attention.

 

[damant]

What about the people waking up in the middle of the night trying to preorder just a phone ? They could wait a few days or weeks !? What's the rush....

Shouldn't we be laughing at them too !;-)?

 

[Beck Show]

Only an idiot would wait in line for a device without a headphone jack. Apple has these fanboys in the palms of their hands and they know it. They will blindly buy any of their products.

Maybe they don't need or want a headphone jack. I certainly don't. I think many others agree with them and with me. Why would we need one?

 

[MH01]

I made it about 4 hours once camping... and then the satellite lost it's signal and it was no fun anymore. I got in the driver seat and drove the RV to the Hilton.
[doublepost=1473897442][/doublepost]

They did that with the MacBook 2 years ago and the internet practically crucified Angela Ahrendts... "how dare they put something on display and not let me buy it!" LOL... yep I said that.

But seriously, I wish they'd cut down on display units... most stores have about 40 phones on display... x 500 Apple Stores, that'd be about 20,000 additional customers who could have their pre-orders launch day.

That would be pointless, why sacrifice people playing with units in store, cause apple artificially creates demand. Apple could easily produce 20k extra units, it's the same design 3 years running , if it was a brand new major design, and using components that had manafacturing issues, sure.

Just wait and see apple meet the pre-orders ahead of schedule.
[doublepost=1473897960][/doublepost]

What about the people waking up in the middle of the night trying to preorder just a phone ? They could wait a few days or weeks !? What's the rush....

Shouldn't we be laughing at them too !;-)?

Pre-order was 17:00 in oz 8:00 UK I believe ..... come to think of it, don't understand why all the pre-orders are done at the same time, as they are country specific. Just open them all up at midday on a given day .

 

[Beck Show]

why? this is the 9th iPhone. Hasn't the novelty worn off? I could understand for the first few generations but come on. It's a cult at this point.

That's assuming they are repeat buyers, they could be first time buyers. In that case, the novelty is just beginning.