Sales appear to be living up to the hype as Apple stores were inundated with customers ready to snap up the company's latest model.

Outside the Upper West Side Apple store in New York City store early Friday, hundreds are lined up around the block as blue-shirted Apple employees walk around the line, answering questions and handing out coffee and water.

David Lopez and his son, David arrived on Wednesday around 1:30pm. Their early arrival paid off: they held the first two places in line.

"I'm excited," said the younger Lopez, who turns 18 Saturday. "I'm tired," said his father, who had suggested they wait in line together and get the phone to mark his son' s birthday. They brought a cooler of food to sustain them during the wait. It included Doritos and Coke. The Lopezes, who live in Manhattan, also sustained themselves on burgers and fries from a local diner.

At a little after 8 a.m at the flagship store in Manhattan's midtown, some early birds left the store holding up their phones in victory. They're part of the cultural phenomenon of shoppers shamelessly engulfed in a retail love fest and sweaty urban camping experiment -- for the latest hot gizmo. The ritual gathering at Apple stores worldwide was once again swelling in numbers as fans queued up at stores in the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore for the Friday sale.

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