NOT SO BIG APPLE
Debut of iPhone 8 muted as iPhone X looms
Apple lovers in Asia and Australia were less than impressed with the iPhone 8 when it hit stores on Friday — but New Yorkers turned out with the usual fanfare, complete with long lines, hourlong waits and Apple’s very own “hype man” to get people excited.
As a line snaked halfway down a Midtown Manhattan block, several hundred people filed in and out of Apple’s 5th Avenue flagship store on Friday — emerging with an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, either boasting a new glass back and 4K video shooting capabilities.
The Apple employee “hype man” stood near the entrance to the store, getting people excited for the phone, “wooing” and clapping as customers filed in.
“We are so excited because [it’s] the first day in all the world [the phone is out],” Rafael Rodrigues, 33, told The Post, adding he was up at 6 a.m. to get a good spot in line.
Rodrigues, his wife, Daniele, and their 3-year-old son, Miguel, came all the way from Brazil just to get the new phone because they didn’t want to have to wait until December, when it comes out in South America. It’s also much more expensive there, Rodrigues said.
He added that the phone has a “great camera” and a “good screen.”
Julie Kanan from the Upper West Side commented on how well organized the event was.
“I think people really get it,” she said. “Apple has it organized well. They got it down, They’ve got lots of support people around, so I think that makes it simple and easy.”
But the long lines and packed crowds seen on 5th Avenue were not present at every Apple Store.
The World Trade Center location had a sparse crowd when it was time for doors to open, while one report from the Apple Store in Pasadena, Calif., indicated that there was not a single person lined up at 8:15 a.m., less than two hours before the store opened.
Reports from China and Australia also reflected a subdued enthusiasm for Apple’s latest gadget, with some stores in China removing crowd-control barriers because turnout was unexpectedly low.
While much of the dwindling crowd sizes can be attributed to a swing toward online ordering, home delivery and in-store pick-up, it’s impossible to ignore Apple’s elephant in the room.
The hype and excitement surrounding the iPhone 8 on Fifth Avenue is overshadowed by the looming release of the sleek, buttonless iPhone X, which is set to hit scores in early November.
Though reviewers have praised the 8’s high-powered internals and its camera, most have said that it’s difficult to recommend the upgrade when the X represents a breath of fresh air. Whatever happens, Apple is looking for the crowds to turn out for the iPhone X.
The tech giant’s market value has fallen more than $50 billion since the iPhone 8 and X were announced Sept. 12.
“I still expect the iPhone 8 to do very well, but not to see the usual rush to get it first, as the people that this phone is now aimed at aren’t the people who queue up overnight,” technology expert and founder of Pocket-lint Stuart Miles told The Independent. “That comes in November.”
Apple shares are down more than 5 percent since Monday, to $151.89.