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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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Dedicated Apple buyers push to pick new iPhones

Analysts predict the weekend could see 10 million-plus sold

The Columbian
Published:

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Christmas came in September this year for Apple devotees, as scores of people across the country turned out early at the company’s stores on Friday to get their hands on new, supersized iPhones.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were met with delirious excitement by fans, many of whom woke at the crack of dawn — or even camped out — to be among the first to buy the new gadgets. With significantly larger screens, the latest iPhones help Apple match competitors like Samsung, which have long offered devices that blur the line between smartphone and tablet.

“Once I got the phone, I woke right up,” said Ramos, a retired pharmacist who has camped out for every new gadget since the iPhone 3. “I’m not going home to sleep. I’m going to be playing with it.”

Ramos was fourth in line, just behind Klaus Bandisch, 59, of San Francisco, who secured his spot nearly 24 hours before. Parked in his folding chair, he said a competitive spirit drove him to be among the first to get the iPhone 6 Plus.

“Second is the first loser,” said Bandisch, CEO of 140AdAgency.com, which makes mobile websites.

Exiting the store with a space-gray 6 Plus, Bandisch, a first-time camper, said the device was worth the wait. “The screen is so crisp and clear,” he gushed. “I love the size, and it seems very light.”

But supplies of the 6 Plus did not last long. Tony Ring-Dowell, 26, who was about 20th in line, said the device was sold out by the time he entered the store. He was content with his space grey iPhone 6 though. “I’m even more excited because the phone is so different,” said the first-grade teacher.

Apple unveiled the new iPhones last week at a star-studded event. A long-awaited smartwatch stole that show, but the spruced-up iPhones will mean much more for the company’s bottom line in the near term.

Now that Apple has finally answered the call for larger screens, analysts expect the new iPhones to trigger a gusher of sales. More than 4 million pre-orders for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were placed the day they became available online last week, twice the volume Apple saw for the iPhone 5. If supplies don’t run out, analysts predict that Apple will sell more than 10 million iPhones this weekend, up from 9 million during the opening weekend for the iPhone 5s and 5c last year.

The iPhone 6, which measures 4.7 inches diagonally, costs $199 with a two-year contract, while the 5.5-inch 6 Plus starts at $299. Compared to previous versions, the phones offer sharper displays, improved battery life and an upgraded camera, Apple has said. In addition, the gadgets are equipped with Apple Pay, a mobile payments service that allows users to buy items in stores with a wave of their phones.

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