A week after the new version of the iPhone has been announced, Apple lovers are getting excited for the iPhone 5 store release this Friday, September 21. But, some tardy customers in Metro Vancouver who have not filled a pre-order yet may find themselves waiting much longer.
The new iPhone 5 is faster, lighter and thinner. It comes with a larger screen and the anticipated 4G LTE technology. And while herds of dedicated Apple fans are brimming with excitement, some techies admit they expected more from the new version, saying the changes are incremental at best.
Regardless, the interest in the new iPhone is already record-setting.
The pre-orders for the new iPhone topped two million in the first 24 hours. That is more than double the previous record of one million set when iPhone 4S was released.
With less than 48 hours to go before Friday’s release, Global News set out to find out if it is still possible to get your hands on the new iPhone 5 this late in the game.
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A sales rep at the Best Buy in Burnaby said they are still taking pre-orders, but are already sold out of 16G models, and the 32G model in black.
She said the phone should be available on Friday, but one will most likely need to wait in line, because it will be “super crowded.”
The Future Shop in Burnaby is not taking any more pre-orders for September 21. They say customers who line up without a pre-order on Friday will be lucky to get whatever is left of the original stock. The store was already taking pre-orders for the next round, but could not say when that would be.
A sales associate at Apple’s Oakridge Mall location said they are not currently selling the unlocked phones in stores, so the only way to get an unlocked phone at this point is online.
Apple says the demand is so high, some pre-orders will arrive later than the initial estimated date of September 21. An online pre-order at this point will come with a three-four week wait time, according to local Apple store reps.
But anyone who is eligible for an upgrade and is willing to buy into a contract should have no problem getting a phone at an Apple store on Friday, provided the stock lasts.
And that could mean very long queues on the release day — a sight that has now become synonymous with almost any new product release by Apple.
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