Apple iPhone 5: Launch Day

The nearly year-long wait for the Apple iPhone 5 is over: this smartphone went on sale early this morning. And those who had pre-ordered it have begun receiving this hot new model.

Apple took the wraps off its sixth-generation handset earlier this month, and pre-orders began a week ago. Over the past week, millions of people in nine countries have put their money down.

This pre-order demand has exceeded the supply. For example, an iPhone 5 ordered today on Verizon's website won't be delivered until Oct. 19, while AT&T says 14-21 business days. The third U.S. carrier offering this model, Sprint, says delivery for an order placed today could take up to 3 weeks for delivery. Apple itself says 3-4 weeks.

Apple reserves some of its early supply to sell in stores on launch day, and people lined up overnight to get their hands on one, including the crowd in front of the Boston Apple store. Pictured at right is the first person in that city to get this new smartphone.

Images from the iPhone 5 Launch

TechnologyGuide Chief Editor Jamison Cush appeared on New England Cable News to talk about the Apple iPhone 5 just minutes before the doors opened in Boston.

The Latest Model

The iPhone 5 sports a number of improvements over its predecessor, the iPhone 4S. The major highlights of the device include a larger 4-inch display, a fast A6 processor (which Apple claims doubles the speed of many processes), full 4G LTE support, a new operating system, and a new connector dubbed Lightning.

There are versions with 16GB of storage ($200), 32GB ($300), or 64GB ($400). These prices require a two-year service contract.

Don't miss our review of iOS 6. And stay tuned for our review of the iPhone 5.