The iPhone 5 won’t be released until Friday, but customers are already camping out in New York City. These hardy souls will be waiting in line for four more days to get the next shiny device from Apple.
Meanwhile, the six people in line in front of the iconic Apple store on Fifth Avenue in New York City also have reasons in addition to owning the newest iGadget. The first two people in NYC arrived a full eight days before the iPhone 5 release date. They are there to promote Vibe, which is a social media startup.
It’s true, camping out in line for a new Apple device is apparently seen as a great way to get publicity for your company, or favorite cause. The third and fourth people in line were also the first two people in line for the iPhone 4S. Jessica Mellow, 27, and Keenen Thompson, 22, will be blogging about the experience, and the pair is also being paid and sponsored by Gazelle, a company that buys old iPhones.
The next three people in line are also being sponsored by Gazelle, and will each get a free iPhone 5. Two of those three folks are musicians. (Who else would have time to camp out for an iPhone?) Brian Ceballo, 18, and Joseph Cruz, 19 hope to gain exposure for their careers with the publicity surrounding the iPhone 5 release date.
The third Gazelle camper, Jackie Lin, 15, had originally planned to sell his spot in line to somebody else who wanted an iPhone 5 but didn’t have time to stand in line for it. However, now that he’s getting a free iPhone 5, he says he’ll stay in line and keep the new phone for himself.
The camping out in line isn’t limited to the U.S., as two men are camping out near the Apple store at Covenant Garden in London. They’re hoping to raise money for cancer research in the U.K.
Have you ever stood in line for an Apple release? Have you ever been sponsored by someone to do so? What were your experiences if you did camp out in line? Please share your experiences with us in the comments section below.
