If you didn't know any better, you may think that San Francisco's homeless population had skyrocketed on Friday morning, with all the people camping out on the sidewalks.[[275802921, R]]
But no, the bleary eyed consumers were there to actually plunk down about $200 to $300 for the latest and greatest Apple product - the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, released to the public for the first time on Friday.
People admitted to living out on the streets outside Apple stores for days, across the globe.
Thalya Fernandez, a California State University East Bay student, joined her friends outside the Apple store in Palo Alto who had been camped out since Tuesday. School doesn't start until next week, so she said she had nothing else to do, other than wait for the newest high-tech gadget. She was prepared to spend "a grand."
As for what she wanted and liked in the new phone? "Everything," she said.
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Maybe no one was happier than one customer from Europe who said he "traveled all the way from Norway for this." Willy Wonka style, he clutched his newly bought iPhone, showing reporters his golden ticket. "I"m so stoked for my brother."
Trying to get interview with first #iphone6 buyer. Criminy https://t.co/ESJp9uclgi — Bob Redell (@BobNBC) September 19, 2014
Slightly before doors opened at 8 a.m., Apple CEO Tim Cook arrived in jeans and a blue T-shirt, waving to adoring customers, trying to gauge fan reaction to the new phone. Customer sales told the story: The iPhone 6 Plus sold out at the Palo Alto store by 11 a.m.
And it wasn't just in Silicon Valley that drew out the Apple lovers in droves. In Pasadena, lines wrapped around the block too. Same in New York, South Florida and Boston. Same in Japan. The phone has already seen a record number of orders.
Fanatics of iPhones from far and wide, some bearing Apple-themed cupcakes for sustenance, flocked to the Pasadena store, and others around the country, to be the first to buy Apple’s newest release.
"We have, um, peanut butter chocolate sprinkled sandwiches," said Brenn Corcoran, 11. "I wanted to stay the whole time from Tuesday, but my mom wouldn't let me do that."
NBC LA's Ted Chen and Katherine Hafner contributed to this report.
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