Tim Cook opens Fifth Avenue store as iPhone 16 sales begin

Friday marks the start of iPhone 16 sales in retail locations, and as is tradition, Apple CEO Tim Cook was at the flagship Fifth Avenue store to kick off the sales.

Crowds gathered at Apple Stores worldwide as they started selling the iPhone 16 range, the Apple Watch Series 10, and the refreshed AirPods lineup.

Tim Cook was seen opening the store and posing for selfies with fans as customers rushed to buy the newest Apple products. The CEO was accompanied this year by Apple's senior vice president of retail, Deirdre O'Brien.

CNBC notes that this year's crowds seem somewhat smaller and that UPS says the demand seems muted. When asked what the driving feature for the upgrade was this year, customers told CNBC that they're most excited for the camera and less so for Apple Intelligence.

As pointed out above, opening the Fifth Avenue store has become a tradition for Apple. In 2023, Cook kicked off the event alongside senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak. Cook also opened the store in 2021.

In 2019, Cook visited the Fifth Avenue store for the iPhone 11 launch. However, the store had been closed for renovation for two years at that point, and Cook had visited to perform the opening ceremony.