Apple sold over five million iPhone 5’s this weekend. People around the world camped out for hours, even days, just to get their hands on the newest and best. However, one group of campers did not squander their time in line. They invented a new app while they waited.
iPhone fanatics and app developers Jonathan Lund, Joe Wilson, and Spencer Smith lined up outside the Apple store at the Gateway mall at 2 p.m. on Thursday, the day before the release. To pass the agonizing time of waiting in line, they created something big of their own. While waiting in line, they built a white board app called “Big Board”, from start to finish.
Wilson, one of the app developers for Big Board says it goes beyond your typical white board at work. “It doesn’t just mirror what’s on the screen. You can actually zoom in and it will show you different parts of the screen. [T]hat way you can fit a lot more on one screen. Once you are done, you can export it [and] share it with anyone that was part of the meeting,” said Wilson.
The wait in the line finally ended when Apple employees greeted customers with high-fives and escorted them inside for a chance to buy what they call “the next big thing.” Andrew Castelli, an Apple fan and owner of the iPhone 5, held up his newly acquired white iPhone 5 with a big grin, and said,”My remote weighs more than this! Look at how beautiful this is. How can you not love this?”
The phone costs between 200 and 400 dollars depending on the memory and service contract. Buyers say getting the latest model on opening day wasn’t the only exciting part of the iPhone 5. They love that it is lighter, thinner, and has over 200 features.
Before the release, Lund, Wilson, and Smith could not wait to get their hands on the new iPhone 5. But now, they say they cannot wait to launch the app they invented as they waited in line.
Apple says the new phone will launch in 22 additional countries by Friday and in 100 more countries by the end of the year.
