'I made my way here at 3am': Man first in line for iPhone 16 at Orchard Road's Apple Store

SINGAPORE - About 110 people were seen queueing outside the Apple Store on Orchard Road at about 6.10am on Sept 20, ahead of the iPhone 16’s launch.

Customers who came to the store on the night of Sept 19 were told by Apple staff to leave and return at 4am the next day to queue. The Apple Store opens at 8am.

The iPhone 16 line-up is the first Apple smartphone designed around AI features. Pre-orders for the iPhone 16 began on Sept 13, with the phones becoming available at launch only on Sept 20.

Mr Harold Lim, 22, the first person in line at the Apple Store, told The Straits Times that this was his first time queueing for an iPhone.

“I came at around 10 plus last night actually, because I thought the queue would be crazy,” said Mr Lim.

“I went to a nearby coffeeshop at Shaw Theatres for a few hours... and made my way here at 3am, because I didn’t want to take public transport or a private hire vehicle back and forth.”

He then realised he was the first person there.

Although he is “not a huge fan” of the iPhone, Mr Lim said he had decided to take leave from work to queue anyway as he had never gotten the latest version of the phone, and wanted to “experience the queueing atmosphere”. Mr Lim had already preordered his phone to ensure he could secure a set.

In response to queries from ST, local telcos - which had also seen queues outside their stores for the 2023 launch of the previous iPhone iteration - did not disclose how many pre-orders had been made, or how much stock was available.

However, a StarHub spokesperson said that demand for the iPhone 16 sold in tandem with its new mobile plans was “exceptional”. Its shops in Plaza Singapura, NEX, Tampines Mall, Jurong Point, and Causeway Point will extend their opening hours, opening at 8am on Sept 20. The shops will close at 10pm from Sept 20 to 22.

StarHub will limit customers to two iPhone 16 devices each, enforced at the point of sale.

Those who wish to purchase iPhones from both Singtel and Starhub in-person at their brick-and-mortar stores will be able to get queue numbers via electronic queue systems, and will be notified to return to make their purchases when their turn comes.

Additionally, Ms Anna Yip, deputy chief executive and CEO for business development at Singtel Singapore told ST that the telco has a “carefully managed stock allocation system” which factors in stocks for walk-in customers.

Apple Intelligence, the company’s AI software, will be used to improve Siri as well as enhancing features such as understanding and identifying objects captured by the phone camera, executives said earlier in September.

The iPhone 16 retails at S$1,299 for the 128gb model, S$1,449 for the 256gb model and S$1,749 for the 512gb model.

The iPhone 16 plus, which features a larger screen and a larger battery capacity, will be priced at S$100 more per model.

The higher-end 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max iPhones, which possess more souped-up hardware, will also have a 1tb storage model.

The Pro starts at S$1,599 for the 128gb model, S$1,749 for the 256gb model, S$2,049 for the 512gb model and S$2,349 for the 1TB model.

The Pro Max goes for S$1,899 for the 256gb model, S$2,199 for the 512gb model, and S$2,499 for the 1tb model.

In September 2023, the launch of the iPhone 15 saw snaking queues at the Apple stores in Orchard Road and Marina Bay Sands, with some people even queueing a day before to snag the new gadgets.

The phones were also resold online on e-commerce platforms just hours after they officially went on sale.

• Additional reporting by Brian Teo

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.