If you’re reading this from the confines of your couch in your warm, cozy house, chances are you’ve decided to forgo the lines this year and take your chances when the crowds die down. Plenty of (more dedicated/crazy) people have been standing in lines in front of Apple Stores around the world, as today is officially iPhone 5 launch day.
“Order iPhone 5 from the Apple Online Store today and have it shipped free directly to your door. Or visit your favorite Apple Retail Store, where we’ll help you choose the right rate plan and get you up and running before you leave,” said Apple in an email to subscribers. Before you head over to Apple.com to order your new device, know this: shipping times recently slipped to 3-4 weeks following a flurry of pre-orders.
In fact, Apple broke a first day pre-order record by selling 2 million iPhone 5s in the first 24 hours. The previous record belonged to the iPhone 4S, which sold 1 million in its first 24 hours.
You can still try your local Apple Store or a carrier store. Various reports put the lines as lengthy at best in major cities. The image above shows the crowd outside of Apple’s flagship store in NYC.
September 21st was the launch date for the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the U.K. The iPhone 5 will hit shelves in 22 more countries on a week from today: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The iPhone 5 comes in black and white, with 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models. Pricing (including a two-year contract) is $199, $299, and $399 for the respective sizes.
Here’s some video of the very first people let into the Apple Store on 5th Avenue in New York City this morning:
For more on the iPhone 5, check here.
