The iPhone 5 release date, which is Sept. 21 at 8 a.m., may still be several days away, but the line with customers camping out in front of Apple’s iconic Fifth Avenue Store location in New York City has already begun, according to a Sept. 16 report from Fortune. The line however, with people who are going to sit there for five more days, currently consists of those doing it for more than just an iPhone 5. It seems some people are there mostly for promotional or paid purposes.
Fortune reports that the first two people in front of the line — they actually arrived eight days before the iPhone 5 release date — are there to promote Vibe, which is a social media startup. They hope that the exposure they gain from camping out, which they described it as a tool “to create ad hoc communities of people who happen to be in the same place” — like an iPhone line, will put their new business on the map.
The next two people in line, notes Fortune, are being paid to do so by Gazelle, which is a high-end consumer electronics trade-in site that buys old iPhones in advance of new releases.
Customer five, six and seven also got sponsored by Gazelle, after they arrived. They are now wearing outfits and gear with the company’s logo in the iPhone 5 queue. They will each get a free next-gen smartphone.
The line also consists of camped out customers holding out for someone to pay for their spot in-line.
At least some folks who are camping out around the world are doing it for more than just paid purposes or a shiny new iOS device. According to this UKPA story, Ryan Williams, 22, and Peter King, 19, camping out near the Apple store at Covenant Garden in London are hoping to raise thousands of pounds for Cancer Research UK.
“The duo are hoping there will be so much interest in their campaign that they will be able to buy and sell four new iPhone handsets (the maximum allowed per person) which cost more than £500.”
We wholeheartedly support their efforts in this noble cause.
Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Leave a Reply