Long lines as iPhone 5 goes on sale
Posted September 21, 2012 5:30 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Dozens of Apple enthusiasts lined up before dawn at the Eaton Centre on Friday to be among the first to get their hands on the hottest new tech device — the iPhone 5.
Apple’s latest version of its iconic smartphone went on sale at 8 a.m. Friday.
About 50 people were in line at the Eaton Centre by 5 a.m. and the first man in the queue, Danny Winters, had been camping out since Wednesday night.
“I just booked the two days off work and told them that the iPhone was coming out,” he said.
“I really look forward to always getting the new one to see what Apple’s got up their sleeve.”
The iPhone 5 comes in either white and silver or black and slate and costs $699 for the 16GB model, $799 for the 32GB model and $899 for the 64GB model. Pre-orders topped two million in 24 hours, Apple said earlier this week, breaking the previous record set for the 4S model.
The latest version is taller, thinner and lighter than the 4S and features longer battery life and a fifth row of apps not including the permanent row at the bottom of the screen.
Among the 200-some features of iOS 6, the iPhone 5’s mobile operating system, is a new Apple-designed Maps app to rival Google Maps.
As was expected, there were also long lines at Apple stores around the world. In Sydney, Australia, some Apple fans lined up three days in advance. In Hong Kong and Singapore, people had to sign up online to win a chance to purchase the phone at a prearranged time.
And some unionized Apple store employees in France walked off the job for the iPhone 5 launch, protesting working conditions.
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