Japanese customers brave typhoon in line for Apple's next iPhones
Customers camped out for this Friday's iPhone launch in Tokyo were offered refuge inside an Apple retail store just before a typhoon hit the area.
Customers have been lined up for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in Tokyo's Ginza since last week. But a powerful typhoon hit the city on Monday, prompting evacuations in some parts of the city.
Before the storm struck, and before the Apple Store was open to the public, customers camped out for the next iPhone were invited inside for shelter, according to Kotaku. Those lined up for Apple's next iPhones were allowed to rest in the store, bring in their wet possessions, and were provided with complimentary bottled water.
A YouTube user who uploaded video of the storm and refuge inside the Apple Store said they were "so moved" by how the company treated its customers.
This year's iPhone launch is especially anticipated in Japan, as the country's largest carrier, NTT DoCoMo, will officially offer Apple's smartphone for the first time. That's helped to spur a price war among Japanese carriers, which has made the new iPhone 5s free with a new carrier contract subsidy for some customers.
In the U.S., some customers began lining up outside of Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store early this month, before Apple had even officially announced the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. Last Friday, Apple began taking preorders for the iPhone 5c, but the iPhone 5s is not available for reservation, meaning customers will have to queue up outside of an Apple or carrier store this Friday if they want to get their hands on the new handset on launch day.
Customers have been lined up for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in Tokyo's Ginza since last week. But a powerful typhoon hit the city on Monday, prompting evacuations in some parts of the city.
Before the storm struck, and before the Apple Store was open to the public, customers camped out for the next iPhone were invited inside for shelter, according to Kotaku. Those lined up for Apple's next iPhones were allowed to rest in the store, bring in their wet possessions, and were provided with complimentary bottled water.
A YouTube user who uploaded video of the storm and refuge inside the Apple Store said they were "so moved" by how the company treated its customers.
This year's iPhone launch is especially anticipated in Japan, as the country's largest carrier, NTT DoCoMo, will officially offer Apple's smartphone for the first time. That's helped to spur a price war among Japanese carriers, which has made the new iPhone 5s free with a new carrier contract subsidy for some customers.
In the U.S., some customers began lining up outside of Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store early this month, before Apple had even officially announced the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. Last Friday, Apple began taking preorders for the iPhone 5c, but the iPhone 5s is not available for reservation, meaning customers will have to queue up outside of an Apple or carrier store this Friday if they want to get their hands on the new handset on launch day.
Comments
Way to go Nippons!
Apple must have a strong patent on this.
When you think about it, Apple IS a Japanese company. The fanatical attention to detail, the amazing support, their stores even resemble Japanese Buddhist temples .
Nuts. But impressive.
When companies start lowering the contract price of the 5S, guess which phone is going to sell out first.
I think the 64 bit chip is going to be a big draw.
When companies start lowering the contract price of the 5S, guess which phone is going to sell out first.
I think the 64 bit chip is going to be a big draw.
Do you actually think the average iPhone buyer is going to care about a 64 bit processor? No, I don't think so.
And have the whole thing recorded and uploaded to YouTube
/s
I am 100% with applesauce007
the competition has to buy these scenario.
These is not homeless people. these is Apple Spirit.
hang in there guys!!!! i take my hat on these one.!!!!
Apple, send some Starbucks coffee to them.
I all ready read somewhere that 1M phones pre-sale in 1 day. Online. And that is a preliminary number. And remember!!!!! it is only the 5C. During the week will know that actual numbers "officially" These is not by reservation tickets on the apple stores and partners carriers.
Analysts of the entire lot are the ones that can't see Apples future. Like Misik and his downgrading coz none of his predictions came true.
Read up here.. http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/09/16/secrecy-of-apple-inc-new-64-bit-a7-chip-may-have-incited-spurious-aapl-stock-downgrades
I am 100% with applesauce007
the competition has to buy these scenario.
These is not homeless people. these is Apple Spirit.
hang in there guys!!!! i take my hat on these one.!!!!
Apple, send some Starbucks coffee to them.
Apple would never give their customers Starbucks - unless you think they hate them.That is just nuts. I can kinda see waiting overnight to be first in line, but a WEEK?? The manager should have done then a bigger favor and said "no one can start lining up until Thursday night; go home."
With NTT getting the iPhone (and the recently announced price drops at NTT, KDDI and Softbank and the competition between them) I think Japan is going to be a major success for Apple.
When visiting UC Berkeley once and staying at a hotel near the university, I spent a very, very pleasant day in downtown SF and used the Stockton St. store (theatre) as my base. I asked if that was okay and was told 'of course'. They also replaced my iPod under warranty. A staff member in the 5th Avenue store told me too, that when homeless people come in (at all hours), they let them stay so long as there isn't any disturbance. All good.
[IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/31563/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]
[URL=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ifostore/sets/72157627074798746/]flickr photos[/URL]
Last Friday, Apple began taking preorders for the iPhone 5c, but the iPhone 5s is not available for reservation, meaning customers will have to queue up outside of an Apple or carrier store this Friday if they want to get their hands on the new handset on launch day.
Well, Tim did say that he wanted to increase the proportion of iPhones sold in Apple Stores.
A no-pre-order 5S launch is guaranteed to do that.
But there may still a way to avoid standing in line, even in the first few days of 5S availability,
and still get your brand-new iPhone 5S within the first days of its release.
The Apple Store app had nightly availability information for new products after 10 pm.
You could check to see if there would be any stock at your local physical Apple Store the next day,
complete the purchase on your iOS device, then walk into the store, show them your ID,
and walk out with your new Apple device. All without standing in line.
Caveat: this worked last year in the first few days after the iPad mini rollout. Not sure it will still work.
But it would certainly help bring more customers into the Apple Store. And it would also
help Apple get back more iPhones and iPads through their in-store trade-in program.