Long Lines Are Back At Apple Retail Stores For The iPhone X

Long lines formed outside Apple stores around the world, a sign of strong demand from consumers waiting for the company’s 10th anniversary iPhone X. Beginning Thursday night locally, crowds surrounded Apple’s retail stores in Singapore, Japan, and Australia, recalling the throngs that formed on the first day of iPhone sales on June 29, 2007. One big difference is the price: the iPhone X starts at $999, double the $499 entry-level price of the first version. With buoyant demand for the new handset, Apple said Thursday it will have record revenue of $84 billion to $87 billion during the holiday quarter, easing concerns among investors that production problems would undercut sales. A strong rally for the company’s stock today would push Apple within reach of a $900 billion market capitalization, solidifying its position as the world’s most valuable public company. Videos and photos published on Twitter showed security guards sectioning off those waiting in line outside Apple’s Orchard Road store in Singapore. In Sydney, fans set up lawn chairs while others sold their spots in line just hours before the phone was scheduled to go on sale in the region. Lines outside Tokyo’s Ginza Apple Store snaked down more than two blocks. In London, Apple employees cheered as the first customers exited the store after buying the new handset. Read more at Chicago Tribune.