WASHINGTON — A cheer rose through the Georgetown Apple store about 8:10 a.m. Friday when the first customer finished purchasing the latest iPhone — a rose gold iPhone 6S.
That was nothing compared with the thunder that roared out when the more than 100 iPhone fans lined up outside spotted Apple chief executive Tim Cook heading to the store an hour later.
“Focus! Focus! Focus!” one store employee shouted as workers and customers swarmed Cook inside the store, eager for selfies.
Cook laughed as one customer took a picture of him with what appeared to be a Samsung Android. “Are you upgrading to an iPhone?” he asked. The answer was yes.
This was a big day for Apple: Analysts expect the company to sell millions of the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus devices during the weekend. It will also be a big test of a new Apple program that allows customers to lease their phones and upgrade when new models are available.
Before the iPhones went on sale, demand appeared lower than last year. Expectations are tempered, partly because the gadget is at the point in its two-year design cycle that entails less dramatic changes.
