Apple fans desperate to get their hands on the new iPhone that went on sale this morning were left disappointed and angered after iPhone 5S handsets sold out in certain locations before stores even officially opened.
The phones are now in such demand that some have appeared on eBay for three times their retail value, while others are being blatantly re-sold on the black market outside shops with mark ups of around £100.
Stocks of the iPhone 5S sold out by 7.50am UK time at the Apple store in Cardiff and by 8am in Liverpool as the limited amount of tickets reserving handsets only stretched to around half the people in the queue.
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Handsets were being sold outside Apple stores by
customers who had managed to get their hands on them to others who
hadn't, or who didn't want to queue
Customers were allowed to buy four handsets at a
time in Liverpool stores, which caused fury when half of the queue were
told there was not enough iPhone 5S in stock for everyone to receive
one
NETWORKS LEFT 'FRUSTRATED' BY IPHONE 5S SHORTAGES
The BBC has discovered network operators in the UK are in short supply of the latest iPhone 5S.
Several networks said stock 'was severely limited in the UK', and feared many customers would be disappointed.
Although pre-orders for the 5C model began on 13 September, Apple did not allow the 5S to be reserved in advance.
An unidentified network spokesman told the BBC they had been sent 'crates and crates' of the 5C, but were being 'drip fed' the more expensive 5S.
O2 is only selling the phones online, although customers can test demo models in stores.
A spokesman said this is the first time O2 has had to put its stock completely online because of the shortage.
Vodafone admitted not all of its stores across the country would have the phone on the day of launch.
Several networks said stock 'was severely limited in the UK', and feared many customers would be disappointed.
Although pre-orders for the 5C model began on 13 September, Apple did not allow the 5S to be reserved in advance.
An unidentified network spokesman told the BBC they had been sent 'crates and crates' of the 5C, but were being 'drip fed' the more expensive 5S.
O2 is only selling the phones online, although customers can test demo models in stores.
A spokesman said this is the first time O2 has had to put its stock completely online because of the shortage.
Vodafone admitted not all of its stores across the country would have the phone on the day of launch.
But there was uproar among queuing fans after an announcement was made around 7am to say there were no more 5S models available - only the less advanced 5C.
A bustling black market in brand new iPhones also appeared around Apple's flagship London store.
Apple set a strict limit on purchases at two per customer, although many surplus phones were being sold right outside the doors alongside staff, security and police.
The phones, sold in Apple's distinctive white carrier bags with silver logo, were carried away from the store in blue plastic bags usually found in newsagents, said one witness.
Once behind the shop the bags were passed through open car window to the occupants inside, hidden behind blacked-out glass.
One of the dealers, a Jordanian immigrant said: 'I'm here today to buy phones and pass them on to my friend who has a phone shop on Edgware Road.
'We should make around £100 on each phone, so for a 16GB version that costs £549 we will sell it for £650. It's probably not strictly legal, but who cares.'
Network
operators told the BBC that stock for the iPhone 5S 'was severely
limited in the UK' and although had been sent 'crates and crates' of the
5C, but were being 'drip fed' the more expensive model.
People hoping to get the handsets from O2 stores were also left feeling disgruntled as the network announced it was only selling the phones online, although added customers could test demo models in stores.
A spokesman said this is the first time O2 has had to put its stock completely online because of the shortage.
Elsewhere, Vodafone admitted not all of its stores across the country would have the phone on the day of launch and demand for the phones caused problems with EE's website.
People hoping to get the handsets from O2 stores were also left feeling disgruntled as the network announced it was only selling the phones online, although added customers could test demo models in stores.
A spokesman said this is the first time O2 has had to put its stock completely online because of the shortage.
Elsewhere, Vodafone admitted not all of its stores across the country would have the phone on the day of launch and demand for the phones caused problems with EE's website.
Compare and contrast: An employee shows the the
backside of a new Apple iPhone 5C, right, and iPhone 5S, left, at a
Verizon store in Orem, Utah
Members of pop group the Saturdays including Una
Healy, left, Vanessa White, centre, and Rochelle Humes, right, pose at
the launch of Apple's new iPhone 5S and 5C at Phones4U in Oxford Street,
London
At 8am, hundreds of people streamed through the doors of Apple's flagship Regent Street store in London to get their hands on the device.
Noah Green, 17, was the first in the queue, having only left his vigil to shower at a nearby gym since setting up camp outside the store at 4pm on Monday.
Emerging from the store 20 minutes after the doors opened to rapturous applause, Noah, clutching a limited edition gold device, said: 'It's the best feeling in the world.
'I'm the first in the United Kingdom and I have the best phone.'
The teenager said he turned down offers of up to £5,000 for his prime spot in the queue, saying he would only consider giving up his place for £10,000.
Queues began forming in the early hours of the morning outside the Apple Store in Newcastle's Eldon Square, pictured
Shoppers in Glasgow city centre queued round the
block on Buchanan Street, pictured for the launch of the new Apple
iPhone 5S and 5C. Elewhere, the Intu Braehead shopping centre near
Glasgow opened up especially for the new iPhone launch
Rows of Apple iPhone 5C smartphones await
customers at the Apple Store in Berlin. Hundreds of customers waited
outside the German store in the rain to be among the first to buy the
new phones
Fans across the country were given tickets in
order to guarantee the particular models. One Apple customer at the
Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham shows his tickets, pictured,
which have reserved him two iPhone 5S models with 16GB and 64GB storage
Serial queuer Green was one of seven huddled together outside the front on the store and said about his fellow Apple fans: 'We all know each other from previous years and launches.
'This is my eighth launch, I've been here for new phones and iPads and pretty much always been in the top ten of the queue.'
Last year, Green sold his spot at the head of the line for the latest iPad for £300.
Today's launch was being used as a marketing opportunity for other companies, with representatives from insurance firms selling cover, coffee shops providing tea and coffee and pizza chains feeding the crowds.
Green said: 'We have been brought food and drinks, even clothing. It's helped to pass the time chilling out. It's been fun but I want my new phone now.'
TESTS FIND THE IPHONE 5S TO BE 'ALMOST INDESTRUCTIBLE'
The very first iPhone 5S sold in the UK was dropped 6ft onto the pavement in a breakability test - and found to be 'almost indestructible'.
The Phone Terminator machine, which tests the breakability of gadgets, was put into action by bosses at SquareTrade phone insurance firm.
SquareTrade's Phone Terminator has been used previously to test the durability of handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S4, its predecessor the S3 and the iPhone 5.
The machine gives each handset a breakability score after putting them through a series of tests including dropping them and submerging them in water.
Current breakability scores* for existing phones:
iPhone 5: Breakability score: 5
Samsung Galaxy S4: Breakability score: 7
Samsung S3: Breakability score: 6.5
*1 is the best at surviving accidental damage and 10 is the worst
According to gadget insurer Protect Your Bubble who surveyed the London queue, 93 per cent of fans were waiting for the high-end iPhone 5S model.
While 56 per cent of customers didn't think the iPhone 5C was good value for money.
One customer from Essex who was 2,700th in the Regent Street queue admitted he sold his iPhone 5 for £350 to cover the cost of the iPhone 5S.
Brother and sister Olly and Charlotte McIlroy, from Bexleyheath, spent more than £2,000 on four handsets for their family. The pair joined the queue on Thursday night.
The London queue snaked around a packed Regent's Park, with several people carrying tents and energy drinks as they made their way towards the store from 8am.
Stocks of Apple's new iPhone 5S sold out by
7.50am at the Apple store in Cardiff, pictured. Customers were given
tickets with some arriving as early as 1am at the Welsh shopping centre
in the hope of getting the new iPhone 5S or 5C
Customers were cheered on and high-fived by Apple staff as they enter the Covent Garden store in London
Models of the iPhone 5S were selling on eBay on Friday morning for £2,020 - almost three times the retail price of the handset - while iPhone 5C handsets were available on the auction site from around £675.
Stocks of the iPhone 5S sold out by 7.50am UK time at the Apple store in Cardiff. Customers were given tickets with some arriving as early as 1am at the Welsh shopping centre in the hope of getting the new iPhone 5S or 5C.
In Liverpool, hundreds of eager Apple fans were left disappointed after queuing for as long as six hours when told they would not get a handset because the store had ran out of stock.
THE IPHONE 5S AND 5S SPECIFICATIONS
iPhone 5C
The handset will cost £469 for 16GB and £549 for 32GB when bought outright.
4-inch Retina display.
Five colours: green, blue, yellow, pink, white.
A6 processor - same as the iPhone 5.
The battery is slightly larger than it was on the iPhone 5.
It has the same 8-megapixel rear camera and a new FaceTime HD camera as the iPhone 5.
Supports 'more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world.'
Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
iPhone 5S
The 16GB handset will cost £549 up to £709 for 64GB.4-inch Retina display.
Three colours: gold, silver and slate.
A7 chip is twice as fast as the iPhone 5.
Built-in fingerprint scanner with Touch ID unlocks the phone and can be used for purchases.
Dual-flash LED camera with 28-megapixel panoramic photos.
The iPhone 5S has 10 hours of talk time and 250 hours of standby.
People had been lining up from Thursday afternoon at the Liverpool ONE shopping centre to make sure they were among the first to get their hands on the latest smartphones.
But there was an uproar among queuing fans after an announcement was made around 7am to say there were no more 5S models available - only the less advanced 5C.
Australian Jimmy Gunawan, 33, literally jumped for joy as he exited Apple's Sydney flagship store at 8am local time after becoming the world's first owner of the latest iPhone.
The 33-year-old forked out $2,000 (£1,170) Australian dollars for two new iPhone 5S - one for himself and one for his mother in Indonesia.
Jesse Green from London jumps as he leaves with
his iPhone 5S after being the second person to enter the Apple store in
Covent Garden
Worth the wait: Hundreds of people line up outside an Apple store in Sydney, Australia, to purchase the new iPhone
Jumping for joy: Jimmy Gunawan shows off his two
new iPhone after being the first person to purchase the newly released
iPhone 5s at 8am in Sydney, Australia
He told the Daily Telegraph: 'I won't be sending it to her until the next Chinese New Year, next January. I've been queuing up since 12pm, but I don't mind.'
Fans of the iPhone 5S had been camping outside Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York City and London's Regent Street store since Monday.
Some erected makeshift tents while others brought rugs and sleeping bags.
But despite the discomfort of camping on the streets, many admit they would be willing to sell their prime spots in the queue for the right price.
Some believe they will be able to demand four figure sums to give up their place as the iPhone 5S - the more expensive of the two new models being released - was not made available for pre-order.
THE MAJOR NETWORK'S LOWEST IPHONE 5C MONTHLY DEALS AT A GLANCE*
| Network operator | Monthly Cost | Phone Cost | 4G-ready? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4GEE | £26 | £189.99 | Yes |
| O2 | £32 | £29.99 | Yes - although not at launch |
| Orange | £32 | £69.99 | No |
| T-Mobile | £32 | £89.99 | No |
| Three | £37 | £49 | Yes - from December |
| Vodafone | £29 | £249 | No |
| Vodafone Red | £42 | £19 | Yes |
Marketing manager for Intu Braehead, Lydia Brown said: 'We normally close at 9pm on a Thursday. But we re-opened our doors at midnight to let people queue outside the Apple Store in the warmth and comfort of the mall.
'Apple is such an iconic brand and there is always a massive interest in a new version of the iPhone that we are expecting hundreds of people to be waiting for the Apple Store to open at 8am.
Big event: Staff cheer as customers are let into Apple's flagship store in Sydney's central business district this morning
Staggered: As the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c
were released at 8am local time around the world, the store in Sydney,
Australia, was the first to start selling them this morning
First in line: The first customer to purchase an
iPhone 5S in Tokyo celebrates as he leaves an Apple store in the city's
Store Ginza shopping district
'We have brought extra staff in to
the mall overnight and I expect the excitement will grow as the Apple
Store opening time comes closer and the customers can be some of the
first in the country to get their hands on the new iPhone.'The iPhone 5S device, said to be twice as fast as its predecessor, sets itself apart from its competitors with its Touch ID feature. This allows users to unlock their phone and purchase apps with the touch of a finger.
The 5S - which comes in gold, silver or 'space' grey - is made of high-grade aluminum.
Customers line up to buy the latest Apple smart
phones outside an Apple Store at Xidan Street in Beijing. It is the
first time Apple has made the handsets available from launch in China as
it attempts to reach emerging markets
Superfan: An Apple fan poses with his new iPhone
5S after queuing outside Apple's store at Tokyo's Ginza shopping
district since September 10
The iPhone 5C, the more budget-friendly of the two models, was available for pre-order last Friday but Apple has yet to release sales figures for the phone.
The 5C - introduced at a time when the tech giant arguably faces stiffer competition than ever before - represents Apple's first move away from the high-end market.
Tokyo Apple customers wait in fancy dress at the KDDI design studio in the Japanese city's Harajuku section
Snap: Photographers take pictures of Apple's new
iPhones on display during a ceremony to mark the first day sales of the
latest iPhones 5C and 5S at a store in Tokyo this morning
Queues around the world: An iPhone fan waits
outside an Apple Store to purchase Apple's new iPhone 5S at Tokyo's
Ginza shopping district today
A worker for Square Trade, a mobile phone
warranties company, puts the the new Apple iPhones to the test using the
Phone Terminator. After dropping them twice both new models remained
scratched, slightly damaged but still working
An unnamed source told Reuters that demand for the plastic handset has been disappointing, leading to suggestions Apple's bubble with consumers may have burst.
Meanwhile, the high-end iPhone 5S disappointed Wall Street and revived fears that Apple's most innovative days may be behind it. The phone has a fingerprint scanner to improve security, but analysts said that was not likely to be enough to make the iPhone 5S a sure win in the crowded smartphone market.
'There was nothing transformational announced. It has the fingerprint scan and new colours, but bigger features, like different screen sizes, don't seem to be at the ready.
'This was less than expected from a company that has a reputation for surprising with a killer product or strategy,' Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia said.
Employees from mobile phone warranties firm, Square Trade, took their Phone Terminator machine to the Covent Garden store in London.
The machine is designed to drop the handsets from the same height and test their durability.
After being dropped twice, both new models were scratched, slightly damaged but still worked.
The iPhone 5 was criticised by customers for being easily damaged because it was made of glass and aluminium.
Jesse Green from London jumps as he leaves with
his iPhone 5S after being the second person to enter the Apple store in
Covent Garden
Worth the wait: Hundreds of people line up outside an Apple store in Sydney, Australia, to purchase the new iPhone
Jumping for joy: Jimmy Gunawan shows off his two
new iPhone after being the first person to purchase the newly released
iPhone 5s at 8am in Sydney, Australia
He told the Daily Telegraph: 'I won't be sending it to her until the next Chinese New Year, next January. I've been queuing up since 12pm, but I don't mind.'
Fans of the iPhone 5S had been camping outside Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York City and London's Regent Street store since Monday.
Some erected makeshift tents while others brought rugs and sleeping bags.
But despite the discomfort of camping on the streets, many admit they would be willing to sell their prime spots in the queue for the right price.
Some believe they will be able to demand four figure sums to give up their place as the iPhone 5S - the more expensive of the two new models being released - was not made available for pre-order.
THE MAJOR NETWORK'S LOWEST IPHONE 5C MONTHLY DEALS AT A GLANCE*
| Network operator | Monthly Cost | Phone Cost | 4G-ready? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4GEE | £26 | £189.99 | Yes |
| O2 | £32 | £29.99 | Yes - although not at launch |
| Orange | £32 | £69.99 | No |
| T-Mobile | £32 | £89.99 | No |
| Three | £37 | £49 | Yes - from December |
| Vodafone | £29 | £249 | No |
| Vodafone Red | £42 | £19 | Yes |
Marketing manager for Intu Braehead, Lydia Brown said: 'We normally close at 9pm on a Thursday. But we re-opened our doors at midnight to let people queue outside the Apple Store in the warmth and comfort of the mall.
'Apple is such an iconic brand and there is always a massive interest in a new version of the iPhone that we are expecting hundreds of people to be waiting for the Apple Store to open at 8am.
Big event: Staff cheer as customers are let into Apple's flagship store in Sydney's central business district this morning
Staggered: As the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c
were released at 8am local time around the world, the store in Sydney,
Australia, was the first to start selling them this morning
First in line: The first customer to purchase an
iPhone 5S in Tokyo celebrates as he leaves an Apple store in the city's
Store Ginza shopping district
'We have brought extra staff in to
the mall overnight and I expect the excitement will grow as the Apple
Store opening time comes closer and the customers can be some of the
first in the country to get their hands on the new iPhone.'The iPhone 5S device, said to be twice as fast as its predecessor, sets itself apart from its competitors with its Touch ID feature. This allows users to unlock their phone and purchase apps with the touch of a finger.
The 5S - which comes in gold, silver or 'space' grey - is made of high-grade aluminum.
Customers line up to buy the latest Apple smart
phones outside an Apple Store at Xidan Street in Beijing. It is the
first time Apple has made the handsets available from launch in China as
it attempts to reach emerging markets
Superfan: An Apple fan poses with his new iPhone
5S after queuing outside Apple's store at Tokyo's Ginza shopping
district since September 10
The iPhone 5C, the more budget-friendly of the two models, was available for pre-order last Friday but Apple has yet to release sales figures for the phone.
The 5C - introduced at a time when the tech giant arguably faces stiffer competition than ever before - represents Apple's first move away from the high-end market.
Tokyo Apple customers wait in fancy dress at the KDDI design studio in the Japanese city's Harajuku section
Snap: Photographers take pictures of Apple's new
iPhones on display during a ceremony to mark the first day sales of the
latest iPhones 5C and 5S at a store in Tokyo this morning
Queues around the world: An iPhone fan waits
outside an Apple Store to purchase Apple's new iPhone 5S at Tokyo's
Ginza shopping district today
A worker for Square Trade, a mobile phone
warranties company, puts the the new Apple iPhones to the test using the
Phone Terminator. After dropping them twice both new models remained
scratched, slightly damaged but still working
An unnamed source told Reuters that demand for the plastic handset has been disappointing, leading to suggestions Apple's bubble with consumers may have burst.
Meanwhile, the high-end iPhone 5S disappointed Wall Street and revived fears that Apple's most innovative days may be behind it. The phone has a fingerprint scanner to improve security, but analysts said that was not likely to be enough to make the iPhone 5S a sure win in the crowded smartphone market.
'There was nothing transformational announced. It has the fingerprint scan and new colours, but bigger features, like different screen sizes, don't seem to be at the ready.
'This was less than expected from a company that has a reputation for surprising with a killer product or strategy,' Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia said.
Employees from mobile phone warranties firm, Square Trade, took their Phone Terminator machine to the Covent Garden store in London.
The machine is designed to drop the handsets from the same height and test their durability.
After being dropped twice, both new models were scratched, slightly damaged but still worked.
The iPhone 5 was criticised by customers for being easily damaged because it was made of glass and aluminium.
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