iWas there: 5 years of iPhone launches (pictures)

It's that time again: another iPhone comes our way. After five years, the hype hasn't died down. In fact, it's only gotten stronger. CNET looks back at the anticipation Apple has built, and those who queued up hours -- and even days -- to get the newest iPhone.
Here, hundreds of people jam Stockton Street outside the Apple store in downtown San Francisco on Friday, June 29, 2007, as they await entry and purchase of the first iPhone.

The Apple store in San Francisco shut its doors at noon on Friday, June 29, 2007 in preparation for the launch of the first iPhone at 6 p.m that evening. Employees could be seen scrambling around inside, applying decals to the window that read "iPhone World Premiere Tonight at 6 p.m."

It's a frenzy as the doors to San Francisco's downtown Apple store open on the evening of June 29, 2007, to let eager iPhone shoppers in.

For some, June 29, 2007, will be remembered as a significant day.

In July 2008, iPhone 3G buyers line up outside the Apple store on Stockton Street in San Francisco. Same place, one phone version later.

Marketers took advantage of the iPhone 3GS launch at a New York Apple store. This representative from an electronics recycling site called YouRenew.com is sports a very impressive iPhone costume.

At 7:02 a.m., an employee unlocks the door to the downtown San Francisco Apple store to sell the new iPhone 3GS in 2009.

Adam Jackson, who was the first in line at the downtown San Francisco Apple store, walks inside to claim his new iPhone 3GS.

Then, on June 25, 2010, came the launch of the iPhone 4. Here's the scene early that Thursday morning outside the Apple store in downtown San Francisco.

The media quickly swarms this man, who was first to walk out of the Apple store in San Francisco with an iPhone 4.

Apple had more staff on hand than there were customers for the Verizon iPhone 4 on launch day.

The Apple store on Fifth Avenue in New York City the morning of the Verizon iPhone 4 launch.

An entrepreneurial iPhone 4 line waiter outside Apple's downtown San Francisco store.

Next came the launch of the iPhone 4S in October 2011. Here's a scene from a downtown Manhattan Apple store.

Waiting in line at the Fifth Avenue Apple store in Manhattan are a few very tired folks on that morning in 2011.

A decent line formed for the 4S outside the Apple store in Emeryville, Calif.

Apple loves to create fanfare for its launches by having employees line up and cheer on customers. Here, another shot of the iPhone 4S launch.

This section of the crowd waiting outside an Apple store in Paris had to get in line for their spots in the queue for the 4S.

iPhone 4S purchasers filed past a tribute to Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder and chief executive who had died just the week before the launch. One Post-it note bore the word "iSad."

The crowd at the Apple flagship store in Sydney, Australia, prior to the iPhone 5's debut Friday.