USA: Customers who camped out become the first to get their hands on the new Apple iphone

Record ID: 828924

  • Title: USA: Customers who camped out become the first to get their hands on the new Apple iphone
  • Date: 30th June 2007
  • Summary: GREG PACKER, FIRST CUSTOMER IN LINE CUSTOMERS WALKING INTO STORE AS CROWD APPLAUDS CUSTOMERS COMING DOWN STAIRS INTO STORE GREETED BY APPLE STAFF (SOUNDBITE) (English), GREG PACKER, FIRST CUSTOMER IN LINE, SAYING: "Beautiful!! Don't know yet. I may keep both of these."
  • Embargoed: 15th July 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVAEVVHT5M3NB81RENWIMI8UYYGN
  • Story Text: After camping out for hours and some for days, New York City's first customers of the iphone are treated like celebrities as they walk through the store's doors. Customers who camped out for days despite the rain and noise in New York finally got what they were waiting for on Friday (June 29) night - Apple's iPhone.
    As they entered the flagship store on Fifth Avenue looking tired and bedraggled, they were cheered on by the store's staff, bystanders and the press as if they had just run a marathon. But in many ways, the people waiting in line had become celebrities over the past week as media outlets from around the world covered every addition to the line. By Friday, there were dozens of camera crews and photographers there to capture the moment.
    One of the event's most recognizable faces was the man who was first in line - Greg Packer, who has his own entry on wikipedia and has made a name for himself by waiting in line at media events like the iPhone launch.
    "Beautiful!" he shouted after paying for his phone. He bought two of them.
    For most the draw was to be among the first to own the device but being a part of a communal event was also appealing.
    "Probably the most exciting thing about this whole experience is meeting new people in the line and getting the iPhone - finally," said Patricia Miranda "I'm so happy and it was worth it."
    Miranda was among several thousand people who lined up -- some for up to five days -- outside U.S. Apple stores and outlets of AT&T, the exclusive iPhone carrier for the next two years. Stores opened at 6 p.m. local time in each U.S. time zone.
    The iPhone melds a phone, Web browser and media player and costs $500 or $600, depending on the amount of memory.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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