For the past four years, some Apple customers have been waiting for a significant redesign before buying a new iPhone. The time has come for those consumers, with the iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max and iPhone Air going on sale.
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It is the first time since 2020 that Apple has rolled out several new phone designs. Alongside the new handsets, it also released the Apple Watch SE, Watch Series 11, Watch Ultra 3 and AirPods Pro 3 into stores on Friday.
The new phones, which bring a fresh look in addition to battery life and camera improvements, attracted long lines at Apple stores from Hong Kong to London to New York to Los Angeles.
At the Fifth Avenue location in Manhattan, a line for walk-ins – people who had not pre-ordered a device to pick up – wrapped around the block, extending to Madison Avenue. Many shoppers indicated they were upgrading belatedly from Apple’s four-year-old iPhone 13 series.
In Frankfurt, Germany, about 100 people gathered around midday, including some who had travelled long distances.
Julia Sowden, an online creator, said she had trekked about 100km (62 miles) to Frankfurt to get the iPhone 17 Pro Max in orange. She was replacing her iPhone 13 Pro Max, whose battery had seen better days.