The iPhone 5 has arrived and we were at the flagship Apple Store in Regent Street, London, to witness the launch in all its glory. With more clapping than an army of Hare Krishna's, we Brits got stuck into what we do best: queuing. 

There were plenty of familiar faces from previous launches, as well as a few new ones. Things really have turned into a bit of a media circus now, with journalists and radio stations engaging in a serious scrum to grab interviews with the first few new iPhone owners. 

Interestingly, most of the people we spoke to this year were queuing for some sort of cause, either to promote a brand or raise money for charity. Naturally, every single person there was desperate to grab an iPhone 5... except for the first two, bizarrely.

Richard Wheatcroft and George Horne

First in line for the iPhone 5 are these two. As we revealed no less than seven days ago, they have queued for more than a week in order to raise awareness for a charity called the Hope Boutique bakery. It aims to help troubled women have a safe place to work, while opening pop-up bakeries around London to generate money for the charity. 

Neither was after the iPhone 5 for themselves. Instead, they were to put them straight on eBay. Also, at the last minute they put their places in the queue up for sale, although from the looks of it, they didn't sell. 

"Seven days, 14 hours and 13 minutes in line, now feels pretty exciting, I'm really excited about bed," said Wheatcroft.

"We had a good week of raising awareness and also raising funds

"These are going straight on eBay, sealed and with a receipt," he added, clutching a pair of iPhone 5s.

To date, Wheatcroft and Horne have raised £2,075 on charity crowd funding website, www.crowdfuelledcauses.com, not including the forthcoming iPhone 5 auctions. They also plan to release an online video documentary of their week outside the Apple Store.

Zohaib Ali

Zohaib is a familiar face to Pocket-lint now, turning up at nearly every single Apple launch (and was even first in line in the London PS Vita queue).

Waiting second in line to grab the new handset, he was probably more excited than anyone else about the imminent iPhone 5 arrival.

Starting a queue long chant of iPhone 5 just before the doors were opened, Zooby, as the rest of the queuers call him, certainly added to the fun. 

"I am most excited about Apple maps. I can't wait to try them out," he told us. "I am really looking forward to iOS 6, I have been here seven days, since 6.30pm.

"I have been sleeping in a chair. I can't wait for turn-by-turn navigation and flyover."

Cam Newton

We never actually got a look at Cam's face because he was wearing a full-body Morphsuit. Dressed like a sort of pseudo masochistic Spiderman and lurking around the back of the initial iPhone purchasers, Cam was quite a character.

He has been waiting for five days to grab the new iPhone and from the sound of his voice, we could tell he is another usual face, had we been able to see it. 

"I wouldn't do it if it wasn't fun." said Newton. "I want 4G compatibility most.

"I think its a massive step up. Although, the one problem I would say is that there just isn't anything that unique.

"I think Apple has got to come up with one thing that completely blows your mind, that people weren't expecting at all."

And like that, the doors to the Apple chapel opened and the queues flooded in.

Well, we say the doors opened, that's a lie. In fact, they were still locked after the Apple staff finished the countdown, leading to an embarassing scramble by a security guard for the keys.

Doors opened, the whole gang ran in, eventually emerging on the other side with iPhone 5s in hand. Some didn't know how to react to the gang of press photographers waiting, others loved it, some were simply Apple staff heading home whom photographers confused for punters. 

That was it, the iPhone 5 is out and about in the pockets of fans on London's streets. Expect them to sell out rapidly, but there might be a few hidden spots where you can still grab them. Rest assured, Pocket-lint will be on the hunt. 

Are you due an iPhone 5? Or are you holding out for something else? Let us know in the comments below...