Lines Already For iPhone 2.0?

Blogger Jon Accarrino of Methodshop reports that lines are already forming in NYC for iPhone 2.0, which is rumored to be launched on June 9 (the first day of Apple’s WWDC and Steve Jobs’ opening speech).

Jon went by Apple’s 5th Avenue store this morning and found a line of about 50 people all waiting for iPhones — or so retail staffers told him.

Jon thinks the liner-uppers are already waiting up for the new iPhone.

Noting that many in line are Asian, Jon speculates they are from NYC’s Chinatown, and are being paid to wait in line. But I find it hard to believe that people are willing to pay a line-sitter for two weeks or more — especially when there’s no indication there will shortages, which prompted the lines first time around.

Reading between the lines of Jon’s report, I’ll bet they are being paid to snap up dwindling supplies of iPhone 1.0 to be sent overseas. As long as Apple places restrictions on the number of iPhones people can buy (currently 5) and there are not yet official channels, there’ll be demand for grey market iPhones.

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Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac, and author of three books about technology culture: Inside Steve’s Brain, the New York Times bestseller about Steve Jobs; Cult of Mac; and Cult of iPod. Leander has written for Wired, MacWeek, Scientific American, and The Guardian in London. Follow Leander on Twitter @lkahney and Facebook.

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Posted in iPhone | Tagged: iPhone |

John
All this talk circulating the internets of people supposedly lining up for iPhone 2.0 is just silly. I’m sure that most of these people are still trying to get their hands on iPhone 1.0. A few days ago, I stopped by the SoHo Apple Store, and there were 5 or 6 elderly Chinese ladies lined up outside. I asked a staff member inside, and she told me that they were waiting to see if the store would get any iPhones in stock that day. The ladies definitely didn’t fit the profile of iPhone-users. I’m pretty sure that any phones they get their hands on are destined to be shipped overseas.
http://www.tumbleintopeace.com CB
I think the reason for the line is to get an iPhone and send it down to Cuba since the US just removed cell phone restrictions to Cuba.
Alan Christensen
It’s so they can be pissed off when the price is dropped in a few months. Will the early-early adopters never learn?
http://michaelzimmer.org Michael Zimmer
Given Apple’s marketing acumen, I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t hire these people to stand in line. Guerrilla marketing, and all that…
http://torley.com Torley Lives
Engadget observes this line is for “no reason”:
Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â» http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/22/iphone-line-forms-at-apples-flagship-for-absolutely-no-reason/
@Michael Zimmer: Interestingly, some thought it was Improv Everywhere. But when’s the last time Apple did something like that, if ever? (I don’t recall…)
JW
I have to say it’s pretty sad that these people’s lives are so incredibly shallow and uninteresting that they would even consider doing this for one night, let alone 17 or 18 days. Time to reassess their priorities, I think. Good luck to them, I hope they end up happy, but I very much doubt they will.
David
Sorry guys for posting in comments but couldn’t find any contact email….
have you see this one?
http://my.break.com/content/view.aspx?ContentID=506620
oh my god
Church of Apple
They’re running out of 1G iPhones, Occam’s Razor says…
Also, assuming they’re getting paid because they’re oriental is so flagrantly raciest it makes me sick. So, what, poor lil’ chinaman get paid to stand in line for big rich white man? What the fuck, man?
Pjazz
it’s not racist, ignorant, PC fool.
it’s an insightful observation and may have some validity.
http://www.schlaflosimsattel.de phaty
The fact that it might sound racist doesn’t make it any less true … !
So the question is: is it less racist if it is true?