iPhone Phriday Redux
July 11, 2008
Well, the lines didn't start as early in the week, but when they happened, they really happened. Plenty of people got up early to get their new iPhone 3Gs, and hundreds of them once again snaked all the way around the GM building, but instead of having to wait around all day, Apple kindly opened its doors at 8 AM. By 8:45 when we made our way over to check things out, the line was still stretched to Madison and 59th. At the AT&T store nearby on Park Avenue and 51st Street, a somewhat shorter line extended about halfway down 51st which was longer than last year, but far more palatable that Apple's endless queue.
The catch? By noon, AT&T was sold out for the day. Migdalia, a genial salesperson assured us that deliveries would be repenished daily, so we would still tend to recommend checking their stores first before braving the tourist cluster#%&∑ that is the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue. Their now considerably shorter line continued to move although its speed was hampered by a few glitches in the mandatory in-store activation process. Some customers were released to complete the process at home which suggests that in the future, the strict activation rules may be relaxed. By noon, happy, newly connected iPhone holders were no longer cheered at their emergence from Apple's glass box with a little iPhone bag in hand, though plenty of press was still there waiting to interview satisfied consumers.
Will this become a perennial event, like the launch of a new version of Grand Theft Auto or PSP?
Time will tell, but it looks like over in Cupertino, Mr. Apple is breathing a happy sigh of relief.
Previously: iPhone Watch: Apple's Non-Event?
Dude, don't people know that in a year, there is going to be a smaller, faster, harder, better, stronger (thanks Kanye) iphone that they'll just have to wait in line for? Why not wait mid year and avoid the run?
Posted by: Wearit.com | July 11, 2008 at 08:30 PM