Johannesburg - iPhone customers around the world had a different experience as they avoided long queues for the first time outside Apple’s stores on the day the new releases hit the stores. The American tech giant has a new system which will see shoppers avoid standing in queues during the pandemic.
With Covid-19 pandemic changing how things are done in 2020, Apple has launched its new iPhone in the midst of a global pandemic, with many stores closed and the open ones under strict public health guidelines. The experience of visiting the local Apple Store to pick up an iPhone 12 or 12 Pro when they debut was different from years past.
According to Business Insider, Apple has implemented some new shopping options throughout the pandemic to more easily limit how many shoppers are allowed in stores at a given time, and these will be in effect during an iPhone launch for the first time this year. Apple said it is also introducing an in-person reservation system for those waiting in line on iPhone launch day, while upholding the same safety protocols it has been enforcing for months.
If a long line forms outside of stores that are currently open, queued customers may be asked to return during a specified time slot to make their purchase, Apple said.
The company is also offering the option to shop one-on-one with an Apple Store specialist for help navigating the new products, financing options, or carrier plans. Another measure new to this year's iPhone launch is Apple's Express Storefront. As its name implies, the Express Storefront is a designated area outside the Apple Stores that are temporarily closed because of the pandemic where customers can pick up a product that they've already ordered online.
At the same time, Apple will continue implementing the safety protocols and shopping options it has offered over the last few months during the pandemic. These include in-store or curbside pickup and contactless delivery for products ordered ahead of time.
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