iPhone superfans queue for 18 HOURS in cold weather to buy new £1,050 mobile
APPLE superfans braved the brisk chill of an early September morning to be the first to get their hands on the latest iPhone.
A queue of around 50 tech geeks formed outside Apple‘s flagship UK store on Regent’s Street, London, in time for staff to open the doors at 8:00am on Friday.
Unveiled by Apple last week, three new iPhones went on sale today at shops across the globe.
They’re the £729 iPhone 11, £1,049 iPhone 11 Pro and £1,149 iPhone 11 Max.
The main draw is the new camera systems, which boast a dizzying number of high-tech features housed in a funky square module on the back.
One brave fan revealed to The Sun that he’d queued for 18 hours outside Apple’s Regent Street store to get hold of one of the new handsets.
Sam Shaikh, a waiter based in London, camped out overnight with only a blanket to keep him warm in order to be the first in line on launch day.
“I tried to order one of the phones online last week but couldn’t get through,” he told The Sun.
“I’ve been here since 4pm yesterday. It was a bit cold but it’s only a few hours.”
This year, Apple is flogging handsets that cost right up to £1,449 – making it the most expensive roster of iPhones ever.
But that didn’t stop Apple nuts flocking to store openings in cities across the planet.
Around 50 would-be customers were waiting outside the Regent Street store by 7.30am on Friday hoping to bag themselves a brand new model.
A few who camped overnight braced a chill 6C on the pavement outside the store. They were seen wearing hoods and coats near the front of the queue to stay warm.
Apple staff strolled down the line as it formed to allow people to pre-register for a phone before they even got in.
And as the big moment approached, a flock of staff formed at the entrance to applaud members of the public as they sheepishly sauntered in.
The queue – stretching right around the corner of the lavish London store – was a far cry from the snaking lines of hundreds of customers seen outside shops on previous iPhone launch days.
That’s because most people get them online nowadays, saving Apple fans a chill morning outing before work.
Apple unveiled its new iPhones at a glitzy launch event at its California headquarters on September 10.
Apple boss Tim Cook opened the event at the campus’ huge Steve Jobs theatre, named after the company’s late founder.
First up was the iPhone 11 Pro, Apple’s flagship handset, which comes with a 5.8in display.
A bigger version, the iPhone 11 Pro Max, has similar specs but boasts a massive 6.5in screen.
The big selling points are their bizarre triple camera systems.
Each houses a normal lens, a 4x optical zoom telephoto lens and an ultra-wide lens.
Your photos are bolstered by a new tool called “Deep Fusion”, which uses AI to combine nine images all taken at once every time you take a snap.
The cameras also boast a Night Mode that automatically brightens any pictures you snap in the dark, according to Apple.
This year’s cheaper handset is the iPhone 11.
That comes with a dual camera system, as well as all the features seen in the snappers of Apple’s pricier new phones.
To get your hands on one of the new handsets, you can buy outright from Apple’s website or in store.
Everything Apple announced at its September 2019 event
Here's everything we might see...
- Three new iPhones
- New 7th generation iPad
- Apple Watch Series 5
- Apple TV+ release date
- Apple Arcade release date
You also have the option to pay in monthly instalments if the price is a little steep, starting at just over £40 per month.
Apple offers a discount on the new handsets if you trade in your old iPhone at the till.
Alternatively, you can buy one from any of the UK’s major mobile networks, including Three, Vodafone, EE, Sky Mobile and more.
As well as iPhones, Apple launched a new Apple Watch – which also went on sale today – at its big September event.
Additionally, the tech titan announced updates to Apple TV, the latest version of the iPhone’s iOS software, and its Apple Arcade games system.
More to follow…
You can read our full roundup of last week’s Apple event here.
We’ve reviewed Apple’s new flagship, the iPhone 11 Pro, to help you decide if it’s the right handset for you.
As well as a host of new gadgets, the firm finally unveiled a release date for its “Netflix killer” streaming service, Apple TV+.
What do you think of the new iPhones? Let us know in the comments!
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