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Every fall, Apple fans line up reliably in marquee stores like Manhattan's famous Apple Fifth Avenue Cube and spend days in folding chairs to be one of the first to get their hands on a new iPhone. But with this year's start of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro On Friday, the situation is radically different thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. That begs the question of whether people should even show up in Apple stores.
If this is confused, let me clear it up for you: stay away.
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Also, let me be clear: I am not advocating that you skip buying an iPhone. Apple has spent years building its online presence and working with its carrier partners so you can enable wireless service online. Now you can chat or call a retail specialist so you don't have to physically show up at stores except for pickups (you should call your local Apple Store to see what options they have. For the most part, you haven't had to worry about it in a long time and Apple has even more options this year.
"We're giving our customers new ways to get to know all of our products before they buy them so they can be sure they're getting the right product for them," said Diedre O'Brien, head of Apple retail stores, on a release released on Wednesday.
What remains is a mix of hardcore Apple fans who want the fame and the public to come first - knowing the media is reliably there to interview them - tourists standing in line to grab the phone because their home country doesn't have it for a couple of weeks and enterprising, cash-carrying shoppers who want to quickly flip the devices on the secondary market.
I've spent years reporting on these product launches, and I've grown to appreciate the camaraderie and fun that comes with spending hours or even days with fellow fanboys eagerly awaiting the latest and greatest from Apple.
However, these lines are just powerful evidence of the loyalty of Apple's fan base and the kind of Draw products a new iPhone can still have - even if they don't really provide any insight into the actual demand for those products. So it's important to say this again: No amount of geeking is worth the risk of catching or spreading a deadly and highly contagious virus in the air - even if you wear a face mask. At a time when social distancing and masks literally make the difference between life and death, the typical lines in Apple stores shouldn't exist.
I say this knowing that lines will inevitably form in Apple Stores, many of which are open around the world. The Cube, for example, will be open for the new phones on Friday at 8 a.m. CET. Apple will enforce strict social distancing protocols, which means the lines that previously spanned the block will stretch even further if people stay at least three feet apart.
Apple closed all of its stores outside of China in March and extended U.S. store closings as the spread of the coronavirus just began to rise. In May, Apple reopened a number of stores, but introduced temperature checks and health screens for customers. Since then, Apple has had to Close and reopen some stores in different areas based on the infection rate.
Of the 510 Apple stores around the world, 481 are open, according to 9to5Mac.
Of course, it is also not advisable to visit a carrier partner store.
You could argue that these lines are outdoors and the stores will certainly limit the number of customers inside. Apple has proven conscientious about the virus, as evidenced by the credit roll, which explains how the presentations were put together for the June Developer Conference and the September and October iPad and iPhone events. But it's easy to see that part of that discipline collapses as the lines stretch back and forth.
The company will offer people further back in line a reservation ticket to come back later and offer pickup kiosks if it upsets things. The company has expanded the number of express kiosks You can also quickly pick up products here.
But that's probably not going to be enough if the expected demand is to be believed. Analysts predict the iPhone 12 series will be a top seller this vacation, making Apple the second largest 5G player behind Huawei immediately. CNET reviewer Patrick Holland just this week called the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro "the best-rated phones of all time".
Mix that kind of excitement with people already dealing with pandemic fatigue beyond the lockdown rules and it's a recipe for many who may forego the security measures in place.
This is not the time to take a step back in our containment efforts. While some countries have dealt effectively with the coronavirus, they are in the minority. In the United States, among others, cases are on the rise as we consider another wave to come. The US alone is responsible for more than 221,000 of the 1.1 million deaths from COVID-19, with 8.3 million Americans testing positive for the virus. Hundreds of people of all ages die from the virus every day in the United States. And that doesn't even take into account that we're at the start of flu season, another virus that is killing lives.
It is significant that Apple will not be sending public relations workers to its flagship stores - something that usually helps coordinate media coverage during those zippy launches. CEO Tim Cook has shown up in stores in the past, but it would be surprising if he made an appearance this year.
Let's hope that consumers, especially the hardcore fans, will take advantage of these options and place their orders at home. Because nothing - not even the new iPhone 12 - is worth delaying our dire situation of the coronavirus lockdown any longer.