Skip to main content

Long lines forming at Apple Stores around the globe for iPhone 5s/5c retail launch

As online sales for the iPhone 5s begin to go live in Australia, Asia, and now the UK, lines outside of Apple stores around the world are starting to grow in anticipation the September 20th, 8AM retail launch of the iPhone 5s and 5c. Shipping times for the 5c have been slipping since preorders went live last week, but Apple seems to be in even shorter supply of the iPhone 5s as shipping times are starting at 7-10 days in most countries where online orders have already kicked off.

If you’re expecting to queue up to get your hands on an iPhone 5s like the many customers pictured below, you might want to get in line soon. We learned earlier today that retailers, including Apple stores, are getting little to no Gold and white iPhone 5s units, and will mainly have just the new Space Grey model available in store. However, as we’ve seen following launches in other countries today, the 5s in all colors seems to be in shorty supply even for online orders.

The September 20 iPhone 5s and 5c retail launch will take place in the US, Australia, China, Canada, Germany, France, Singapore, UK, and Japan.

Head below for a look at the long lines starting to form outside Apple Stores around the globe:

Munich, Germany:

Fifth Avenue Store, New York:

Shinsaibashi, Japan

(via gigazine):

Apple-Store-Japan

Adelaide, Australia:

Sydney Apple Store:

https://twitter.com/SchumacherFM/status/380825762762211329/

Opera, Paris:

Palo Alto, California:

https://twitter.com/timburks/status/380797890014097408/

Eaton Center, Toronto, Canada:

https://twitter.com/Aloraifan/status/380805662021652480/

Hong Kong:

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. wildmarkets - 11 years ago

    Tim Cook Supply Chain Hero???

  2. Felonius NoSpamius - 11 years ago

    I will never understand this. It’s a phone. As of yesterday, an ugly, chinese kids toy phone too. I love my iMess but acting as if it’s the second coming is just incomprehensible to me.

    • rettun1 - 11 years ago

      Have you ever waited for the midnight release of a game? Or a movie? Or a book? That’s not an uncommon thing. Sure, it’s for a phone… so what?

      • Felonius NoSpamius - 11 years ago

        I have never, nor will I ever, wait in line for anything that is going to be readily available and doesn’t affect my health. It’s a phone. Or a book, or a movie, it’s that gimme mentality that makes fools of people. It’s just not for me. I’m sure all those in line have fun and are excited, and I wish them all the fun and excitement they can handle. Just personal preference to simply not join that type of activity. Its. A. Phone. (and it’s got an ugly new OS, sorry, couldn’t resist)

  3. Alan Wong - 11 years ago

    Last picture by dalekins on Instragram is Hong Kong and not Japan

  4. Laughing_Boy48 - 11 years ago

    I could have sworn it was said that no one would be lining up to buy the guts of last year’s iPhone that had been dipped in plastic or a slightly upgraded model of last year’s iPhone 5 coated in gold anodizing. Everyone supposedly knows that the average-sighted consumer isn’t capable of reading the tiny display of iPhones anymore. Why would anyone line up for an iPhone when they can get a huge display Android smartphone that costs only half as much and has twice as many features than Apple’s iPhone? Don’t all these consumers know that Apple is doomed because it only has about 15% market share as opposed to 80% Android market share? Why would anyone want to buy into a dying mobile platform? Oh, well, I’m sure Wall Street knows that after this weekend there will be no one left to buy more iPhones for the rest of the year. Time for another round of Apple downgrades.

    /s

    • johnnyheat06 - 11 years ago

      You are stupid, laughing boy!!

    • johnnyheat06 - 11 years ago

      I used samsung phones for 2years and Andriod os. I will never buy an Andriod phone. Apple is only company mastered in hardware and software.

    • eddy305 - 11 years ago

      What an ignorantly hard headed comment. The average sighted consumer? Lol. Black berry phones were once the #1 in the word you brute. How do you think people saw those letters lol. Get your eyes checked or whatever but don’t speak for the average consumer because you obviously aren’t. Besides the screen size the iphone 5s is the most advance secure phone to date. Twice as fast as the 5 which means twice as fast as every phone in the world. First phone with a 64 bit operating system done perfect the first time. Way better cam then before, maybe Not #1 but definitely way better then most. Fingerprint security sensor no more passwords. Trust me you really want this more then you think lol. What else do u want inside the thinnest lightest smart phone in the world. Moving your screen without touching it or pausing a video when u look away? Lmao give me a break. Thats a gimmick if iv ever seen one and you bought it.

      • Scott Adams - 11 years ago

        Slow down fast eddy. Laughing_Boy48 was being ironic with just a touch – read: boatload – of sarcasm. He was highlighting how many “analysts” and pundits were sure that the new iPhones (and often Apple) were doomed to failure, and that those “analysts” and pundits were wrong…again…as usual. In other words, he wasn’t being serious.

      • minicapt - 11 years ago

        It is generally understood that, in blog comments, the use of “/s” denotes “sarcasm” vice “signature”. Also, one can often detect the use of “sarcasm” in the word usage, tone, and structure of the specified comment.

        Cheers

      • Dont forget to mention that A7 Dual Core already beaten Snapdragon 800 Quad core in benchmark, increasing the size of screen and putting more cores in processors, more RAMs, are always specs gimmicks by most Android phone makers for their sales, the fact is Android users always make them self fool by buying these high specs phones thinking that may be this time they will have better experience and in the end Apple latest & greatest beat them by less cores and less RAM, its time for these fandroids to accept that apple knows how to make most out of technology by using it wisely, their Hardware & software relation these Fandroids will never understand, let them live life of Ignorance, i feel pity about them.

      • D. Palavra (@FuzzyLojak) - 11 years ago

        64 bit OS? Educate yourself before posting garbage. its not OS, its graphics.

    • Gabriel Hutchinson - 11 years ago

      This dude has to be trolling. amusing read.

  5. Ruben Baca - 11 years ago

    When are we able to order online through Apple’s website? Is it at midnight? or until tomorrow morning?

    • applevous - 11 years ago

      12:01 Pacific Time or 3:01AM Eastern. It’s still the best phone on the planet.

      • Van Du Tran - 11 years ago

        Damn it, my carrier’s sales rep told me 7:01 AM Eastern.. I wasn’t first :(

  6. Luca Graziani - 11 years ago

    OMG what’s wrong with you people waiting in line to get the same exact phone they sold you last year and that is proposing “new features” that all the other smartphones have falready. Apple could come out with fried shit telling you it’s the new release and you guys will still be buying it. Oh wait he put a new fingerprint reader so nobody can access your brand new iphone with super safe IOS7, hmmmm yeah right secure my ass http://gizmodo.com/anyone-can-bypass-your-ios-7-lockscreen-to-see-and-sha-1350617707

    • Matthew Clark - 11 years ago

      Yeah, except the iPhone in that photo is not an iPhone 5s… (note the lack of a ring). Additionally, there was no mention of getting through Touch ID, just the “lockscreen.” The article also mentioned that this “bug” was able to be replicated on an iPhone 4S and 5, neither of which have Touch ID. A little reading comprehension goes a long way, my friend.

  7. John Smith - 11 years ago

    Samsung wishes their phones elicit such excitement.

    • D. Palavra (@FuzzyLojak) - 11 years ago

      Do you even know how the commotion is created? They say theres only like 10 Gold and 50 regular phones available for sale a day while having thousands in the back room(I used to work for Apple). They limit the sales so people go nuts and form lines. Its just marketing gimmick. Anyone with a little bit of brain can understand. But sheep dont.

  8. Bob Black - 11 years ago

    isn’t it illegal to make fun of the mentally challenged

  9. timi222 - 11 years ago

    In Milton Keynes Apple’s workers just took pictures of the queue and after that said no iPhones! Fucking stupid Apple, just propaganda!

    • D. Palavra (@FuzzyLojak) - 11 years ago

      Exaclty! They say theres only like 10 Gold and 50 regular phones available for sale a day while having thousands in the back room(I used to work for Apple). They limit the sales so people go nuts and form lines. Its just marketing gimmick. Anyone with a little bit of brain can understand. But sheep don’t.

  10. Yassine Mustapha - 11 years ago

    How to unlock fu ll the passcode on any iDevice with iOS7 final bypassing : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2qvHli8SbY

  11. I love my iPhone, but waiting in line overnight? Just not for me.

  12. Felonius NoSpamius - 11 years ago

    Oh well. I’m sure there’s plenty of support for the new phones, but for me and my 10 officemates, based on this hideous new UI, we won’t be buying one. I hope the next one comes with a better interface because we can’t honestly figure out wtf they were thinking.

  13. Glen Tomas - 10 years ago

    Doesn’t look like 9 million in line!!! :)

Author

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.