Camping on 5th Avenue for an iPhone
New York. The man, who describes himself as “Number 12”, brought his own generator with him to keep his Mac running. Sitting in his camping chair outside Apple’s flagship store on Manhattan’s prestigious and noisy 5th Avenue, Scott Conley, a 37-year-old man from Brooklyn, is waiting in the humid heat for the iPhone to finally hit the stores the next day. He wants to one of the first ones in New York – he will be number 12 – to get hands on the hyped device, which will go on sale on Friday June 29 2007 in the US. Mr Conley, a senior manager at a software company, arrived in front of the Apple store late on Wednesday June 27. The first night was not easy with thunderstorms hammering Big Apple. “I was prepared, he says while showing the plastic bags around him. My first concern was to protect my computer. For me, I had an umbrella and a poncho”. Despite the difficult weather conditions, Scott Conley does not regret coming. “It is fun to queue up, he says. Nobody comes to my job to interview me about what I am doing. I can also write my blog from here”. He also came because he predicts the coveted handset will be out of stock in no time. “I was in a similar line once before, Mr Conley says. It was in 1999 and I wanted to buy tickets for Star Wars, Episode 1. I was so disappointed by the film. I hope the iPhone will not let me down”. Next to Scott, John Lawton is number 13 in the line. The 19-year-old man came from neighboring New Jersey and is listening to his iPod. He is currently “between jobs” and says he no particular interest in the iPhone but one of his friends paid him to stay online and buy the device. How much did he get? “I would rather not disclose it, he says. But it was enough to make it worthwhile to camp here”. The launch of Apple’s first cell phone is an event in the US. It is the topic of many online rumors. Fans have done research to try to locate the most likely store for buying the coveted device. Apple will not say how iPhones were delivered to the outlets. The handsetwill cost between $500 and $600 depending on the memory card size. But buyers will also have to sign a two-year contract with AT&T, Apple’s exclusive partner. In the end, the iPhone could cost around $3000. This price tag does not scare buyers. The US media has covered the iPhone extensively and the reviews are good so far. IT analysts expect the first iPhone to sell quickly. Some predict that Apple and AT&T could sell as much as three million handsets within the first weeks. Back in front of Apple’s flagship store in Manhattan, Scott Conley keeps talking to the media. He mentions his blog and claims his “wonderful wife” was not mad at him for leaving her for two days to buy a phone. Apple decided to accommodate the 5th Avenue campers. They are allowed to use the store’s bathroom and the wireless connection. In the queue, number 8 is enjoying the free Internet access. He is writing a blog…about the iPhone. Jean-Cosme Delaloye CommentsYou must be logged in to post a comment. |
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