Meters of Queues Formed in the Belly of New York: They Stayed Up All Night for That Product

Apple's new iPhone models, as soon as they hit the U.S. market, the familiar launch images returned in New York. Long queues formed in front of the famed Fifth Avenue store, while some customers spent the night outside the shop to be among the first to get their new phones.

Queue Started a Night Earlier

With the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max hitting store shelves on September 18, eyes turned to Apple’s Fifth Avenue shop in New York.

According to FOX 5 New York, some customers began lining up hours before the store opened on the evening of September 17. The queue, which grew overnight, created striking scenes around the shop in the morning.

When Apple’s doors opened at 8:00 a.m., customers who had been waiting for hours entered to get their new iPhones.

The First Name in Line Waited for Hours

One of the names in the front rows of the queue was 21‑year‑old Harry Sung. According to TechRadar, Sung arrived at the store's front around 20.30 the night before and began waiting.

Sung, who had pre‑ordered the iPhone 18 Pro Max and wanted to pick it up, spent the night in line and was among the first customers to enter the store in the morning.

There Were Also Those Waiting in Line for a Fee.

One of the most striking details of the launch in New York was that no one in the queue had come to get a phone for themselves.

The new iPhone buzz also sparked the paid line‑sitting service known in the city as "line sitter." It was reported that some people waited for hours in front of the Apple store on behalf of their clients.

Thus the new iPhone launch energized not only tech enthusiasts but also the New York‑specific line‑waiting industry.

Apple's New CEO Welcomed Customers

Another name that stood out at the Fifth Avenue launch was Apple CEO John Ternus. Ternus greeted the first customers at the store opening and had photos taken with them.

Apple also shared footage of the long queues in New York and customers entering the store on launch day.

Familiar iPhone Scene in New York

Despite the widespread availability of online ordering and in‑store pickup options, the new iPhone launch in New York once again showed that the tradition of queuing outside physical stores has not disappeared entirely.

Tech enthusiasts who arrived on Fifth Avenue hours before the launch were willing to spend the night on the street to be among the first to get the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

The crowd that gathered in front of Apple on Fifth Avenue, one of New York's iconic stores, was one of the most striking images on the first day the new iPhone models went on sale in the United States.