Waiting Game: 10 Scenes From The iPhone 5S, 5C Launch In Boston

Apple Of Their Eye

Boston's Boylston Street was abuzz Friday morning with hundreds of Apple lovers hoping to be among the first to score a new iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C.

The phones, which were unveiled by Apple last week and hit U.S. retail stores Sept. 20, drew in eager shoppers from around the globe, many of whom waited in line for hours -- if not days. CRN headed downtown to get a glimpse of the action.

Check out these 10 scenes from the latest iPhone launch in Boston.

The Fun Begins

By 10 p.m. Thursday night -- still 10 hours out from the Friday 8 a.m. launch -- the line outside Apple's biggest Boston retail store was already a few blocks long. By the time CRN arrived Friday morning, it seemed endless, snaking its way down Boylston Street and onto other neighboring roads.

Rise And Shine

About 30 minutes before the store doors opened, Apple employees handed out coffee -- a gesture especially welcomed by those who waited throughout the chilly Boston night.

Dedication

Evan Skinner (pictured here), who arrived at the Boylston Street store just after midnight on Friday, was still bundled up in his blankets just minutes before the doors opened.

Unlike most in line, Skinner wasn't there to get the new iPhone for himself. Instead, he was grabbing one for his sister and one for his grandmother, planning to surprise them later in the day. "My parents think I'm still home in bed," Skinner joked.

He said he was buying the iPhone 5S because it seemed "higher tech" than the iPhone 5C.

A Global Affair

Christian Tipaldi (pictured) travelled all the way from Italy for the iPhone 5S, telling CRN he simply couldn't wait until the December launch in his home country.

Tipaldi was hoping to grab a number of phones to bring back to friends and family. He arrived at Boylston Street at 2 a.m. When asked about his other favorite tech products, he replied: "Anything Apple."

A Team Effort

Apple fans Conor Mulcahey (left), Thomas Olivo (center) and Brett Gates (right) got in line around 10 p.m. Thursday night. All three were buying the iPhone 5S.

Olivo, for his part, was making the switch from a Samsung Galaxy phone. "I have a Galaxy now," he told CRN. "But once I get my hands on a gold iPhone 5S, I'll switch."

Go Time

Line-waiters sighed in relief when Apple employees opened the doors at 8 a.m. sharp. Security guards took to their posts before shoppers were actually let in.

At Long Last

Shoppers were let in on a one-by-one basis, each greeted with a smile and a handshake from an Apple store employee. Many also were carrying overnight gear, like the iPhone fans pictured here.

Sweet Success

With their new iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C securely in-hand, shoppers peered down from the store window at the other Apple fans still waiting below.

Same Line, Different Store

The Apple store wasn't the only retail outlet managing iPhone-hungry crowds Friday morning. A Verizon store two blocks down, in fact, had a line out front, as did a local AT&T store. Neither was quite as long as the Apple line, but they were at least 30-people deep.

What All The Fuss Is About

Apple's new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C both run the latest version of Apple's mobile software -- iOS 7 -- and are available in the U.S. starting today.

The iPhone 5S is the more souped-up, technically speaking, of the two. It includes Apple's new 64-bit A7 chip, a fingerprint reader, and an HD FaceTime camera that has new Burst and Slo-Mo features. The iPhone 5C, meanwhile, touts specs similar to those of the prior-generation iPhone 5, but is less expensive than the iPhone 5S and comes in a variety of colors, including pink, blue, yellow, green and white.

The iPhone 5S is priced at $199 for the 16-GB model, $299 for the 32-GB model and $399 for the 64-GB model. The iPhone 5C is $99 for an 8-GB model, and $199 for a 32-GB model.