Thousands of Customers Waiting in Line at Apple Retail Stores for iPhone XS, XS Max and Apple Watch Series 4 as Global Launch Continues

iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4 have started rolling out in Australia and New Zealand where it is after 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 21, and in other countries, as the launch date approaches, customers are queueing up with the hopes of purchasing one of Apple's new devices.

At the Orchard Road store in Singapore, where the new smartphones and watches will be available in a few hours, hundreds of people are waiting and have been camped out since much earlier in the day.

appleorchardroad


It's hot in Singapore, so potential customers have been provided with numbered wristbands to mark their place in line and are allowed to leave for up to one hour for meal breaks.


There's a similar scene at Apple's Berlin store, where customers have been lining up overnight. Berlin customers still have several hours to wait before the new devices are available in the country.


Customers in Austria are also lining up to get an iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max, but with hours to go, the line is still small.

Most U.S. stores don't appear to have significant lines, but people will likely start lining up late at night as the launch date approaches.

Apple's iPhone XS and XS Max were not particularly constrained when pre-orders launched, but some iPhone XS Max models began selling out for launch day shipments within about a half hour of when pre-orders went live. Apple Watch Series 4 models were harder to come by and sold out quickly.

Orders placed for iPhone XS, XS Max, and Apple Watch orders from Apple today will not ship out until October, which is likely why many customers are trying their luck waiting in line for a walk-in purchase.

Customers in the United States who did not pre-order and who are hoping for a launch day device should get to an Apple retail store or carrier store as early as possible.

Are you planning to wait in line for an Apple device this year? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Black

Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats

Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio. Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014. Q.ai has...
imac video apple feature

Apple Unveils First New Products of 2026

Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch. Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
iPhone 5s

iPhone 5s Gets New Software Update 13 Years After Launch

Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released. iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Apple Creator Studio

Apple's Next Launch is Today

Tuesday January 27, 2026 2:39 pm PST by
Update: Apple Creator Studio is now available. Apple Creator Studio launches this Wednesday, January 28. The all-in-one subscription provides access to the Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps, with U.S. pricing set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. A subscription to Apple Creator Studio also unlocks "intelligent features" and "premium...
apple silicon 1 feature

Apple Responds to Skyrocketing RAM and Storage Chip Prices

Thursday January 29, 2026 2:40 pm PST by
On an earnings call with equity analysts today, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to fast-rising RAM and SSD storage chip prices in the supply chain. Prices for RAM and NAND storage chips are surging lately due to high demand from companies building out AI servers, resulting in supply constraints. Cook said that rising memory chip prices had a "minimal impact" on Apple's gross margin in the...

Top Rated Comments

droog Avatar
96 months ago
People still do this? Yikes...
Score: 75 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yaxomoxay Avatar
96 months ago
Waiting in line for a phone or watch, it's just sad.
No it’s not. I wouldn’t do it, but it’s not sad. It’s what they want to do, with their free time, and they will use their money for it. Some people stay in line for hours to watch a football game (which may be even on TV) or a concert, and some people will even pay otrageous amounts for it.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reapro Avatar
96 months ago
Waiting in line for a phone or watch, it's just sad.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
96 months ago
Stop dissing people who queue. I don’t personally, but people do and it’s up to them. Many like the shared experience and the fun of doing it. Why go to a live sports game when you can watch it on TV...
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
96 months ago
I want to see someone in line with a notch haircut. Pretty please?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
madKIR Avatar
96 months ago
Next year the new iPhone at only $1999 lol
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)