When should I get in line?

[metroidmen]

I'm planning on driving out to the Brandon Mall to go to the nearest Apple store for launch. They open at 8am Friday, when should I get in line? I want to be sure I get one launch day. I was think maybe about 7pm the night before? I've not been to an iPhone launch so I don't know what to expect. What do you recommend? Thanks.

 

[Doc Z]

You're braver than me. I'm going at 7am the morning of lol

 

[swarlos]

You in a pretty big area? I wouldn't think you'd have to be there any earlier than 5am. When I waited in line for the 3G I got there a couple hours before open and was fine.


Beamed from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

 

[denvergirl78]

Brandon as in just outside Tampa? Are there other Apple stores around? If not, it might be pretty busy.

 

[metroidmen]

It's in Brandon, Florida, so it's the Tampa/Orlando area. I don't know what to expect. I'm excited, just worried about my ipad or phone dying haha. I'll take the charger, get food, energy drinks, and wait. I called and they said the mall opens at midnight to let people in to wait. So maybe whenever the malls about to close I'll head in and ask where the line starts.

 

[metroidmen]

Brandon as in just outside Tampa? Are there other Apple stores around? If not, it might be pretty busy.

I'm driving out the from Lakeland, closest one to me. 45 minute drive.

 

[denvergirl78]

Ick. (I used to live in Plant City )

Looks like there is one in Brandon and one at International Mall, so Tampa might not be too terrible.

There is also one in Florida Mall and one in Millenia in Orlando. So maybe the Orlando people will stay over there and you might be okay with Brandon.

Good luck!

 

[Beezzy]

You in a pretty big area? I wouldn't think you'd have to be there any earlier than 5am. When I waited in line for the 3G I got there a couple hours before open and was fine.


Beamed from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

The 3G wasn't nearly as popular as the 5 is going to be. When the 4 came out people were standing in line from the night before.

 

[metroidmen]

The 3G wasn't nearly as popular as the 5 is going to be. When the 4 came out people were standing in line from the night before.

That's what I'm thinking to expect, so I should probably be there at like 8, a good 12 hour wait. Maybe even around 6ish. Get a spot in line then kill time and shop.

 

[johnrhodes]

I'm in Atlanta, GA and I waited in line for the iPad 2 at the 5th avenue store in NYC for 11 hours (store opened at 5 PM that time) and I was spot 19 in line out of 12,000. Then I waited in Atlanta from 6:30 AM to 8 AM for iPad 3rd generation and that was fine so I'm planning on getting in line for iPhone 5 at 4 AM (4 hours before store opening). I think that should be good. What do you guys think?

 

[jon01]

im getting to my store ~6am. well thats my plan at least.

 

[metroidmen]

You'll probably be good. I'm sure I will too. I'm mainly doing it for the experience. I can say, "Yeah! I waited twelve hours! So what! It was worth it!" And you can meet some cool people and have some fun.

 

[LOV3LikeRockets]

I have a weird case with my upgrade, so I have to buy it through AT&T, how early do you think I would need to show up for one of AT&T stores in Burbank?

 

[iARMxC]

I live 2hours away from the Little rock ark apple store. Im getting there at 6pm thursday! I called today and they said 3 people wer already campin out! I hope i can get one!

 

[2oh1]

On the morning of the launch of the iPhone 4 back in June of 2010, I went to the small Apple Store in Portland's Pioneer Place mall to pick up the iPhone I'd pre-ordered. The mall opens at 10AM. I got there at 6AM. That's four hours before the mall even opened, for the iPhone 4, which sold nowhere near as many pre-sale as the iPhone 5.

By 6AM, the line stretched halfway around a city block. I can't even imagine the lines this time. I can't imagine how long they'll be or how early they'll begin - I just know it's going to be unprecedented.

I can't even imagine how FedEx is going to handle having an extra million or two packages to deliver on one day. Wow.

 

[JustinHorn]

I'm in NYC this week so I decided to order online and ship to friends office in manhattan... Otherwise I would have been at the Miami Beach store at 4AM.

I was 6th in the store for 4S, but first out. Got on the news.

 

[johnrhodes]

Yeah, this is really starting to stress me out. I HAVE to get it on the day of haha I LOVE Apple but I'm also on AT&T and that's what they sell out of fastest. For the new iPad this year, I got their two hours ahead of time but was 300 people back in line, and that won't be NEARLY as popular as the iPhone 5 launch this year. How many might they get in stock?

 

[2oh1]

I live 2hours away from the Little rock ark apple store. Im getting there at 6pm thursday! I called today and they said 3 people wer already campin out! I hope i can get one!

On the launch of the iPhone 4 (and probably 4S) Apple had a limited quantity of iPhones for sale on the launch day for customers who didn't pre-order. There were two lines: one for people who pre-ordered and thus were guaranteed an iPhone that day, and a second line for customers who didn't pre-order and were taking their chances. That second line was CRAWLING. I think the Apple Store was taking five pre-order customers and then one non-preorder customer. Honestly, it could have even been ten to one. I just remember seeing that other line at a near standstill all morning.

I would really discourage anyone who didn't pre-order an iPhone 5 from even trying to get one on Friday. Or maybe your odds will at least be better at a store like AT&T or Sprint rather than Apple since most people will think of going to Apple first?

If you do try to get one on launch day without pre-ordering, make sure you bring something to do while in line. Heck, bring food too. And bring hours worth of patience. It's going to be a zoo.

 

[johnrhodes]

So when should I get in line at a mall store?

 

[johnrhodes]

Because Apple stores in malls sometimes are different