Customers wait in line for hours for iPhone 5

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- Dozens of Apple fanatics can't wait to get their hands on the new iPhone.

The Apple Store on Lincoln Road opened at 8 a.m. and about an hour later there were still several people waiting in line to get their hands on the iPhone 5.

Their first customer exited the store with his new iPhone in his hands, showing it off to reporters and photographers anxious to snap a photo. "It's better than a Rolex!" he exclaimed. "This is like really fine art and the best company in the world; it should be the best phone in the world."

A customer by  the name of "Jimmy" purchased his and said he was looking forward to the phone's eight-megapixel camera and other features. "I was most looking forward to the picture quality," he said. "The Internet's a lot faster, the memory is better. It's just a must-have phone, as you can see. Look at the line."

Thursday night, Lloyd Pearson was the first to arrive at the Apple Store on Lincoln Road at 8 p.m. Early Friday morning, he was still going strong. "Music was pretty lively, and there was stuff to do anyway. It's just this time, I was waiting on a phone," said Pearson.

Some slept and others waited with friends to stay entertained. Downpours of rain moved in overnight but the wet weather did not deter Apple faithfuls. "I just really need it in my life," said Abraham Cubilete, who is upgrading his phone. "Just the look, the way it feels, the camera is better. It's just a million times better than the phone I have."

One customer spent most of her time sleeping, as she waited in line. "It's raining, and I've been asleep half the time," she said. "Now, I'm having some Starbucks."

7News viewers submitted pictures of the lines at Apple stores across South Florida. The line at The Falls in South Miami-Dade started forming at 3 p.m. Thursday.

A group at a Fort Lauderdale mall parking garage were ready to make the mad dash to the door. "The iPhone is culture. The Samsung it comes and goes, and the iPhone is there; It's a culture," said Angel Luna. "You know, everybody hangs out. We talk and have fun."

The new iPhone 5 is said to be taller, thinner and lighter and has a new four-inch display. Apple said it's twice as fast as the older models and includes a new map with turn-by-turn directions.

For heavy cell phone users, the new iPhone also has a longer battery life.

With the IOS operating system 6 and with 4G LTE, providers expect this phone to sell at a record rate. "If the pre-sales of the iPhone 5 are any indication of what business will be like, it's going to be very brisk," said AT&T Spokesperson Kelly Starling. "Because we basically set a record with the iPhone 5 pre-orders. It's been the fastest-selling iPhone device since it launched many years ago."

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