Where to Buy the iPhone 5 Near Bellevue

Update:

If you're planning to line up at the Bellevue Square Apple Store location, Patch has learned that people may start to line up at 9:30 p.m. outside Bellevue Square. The Apple Store can let the line into the mall at 6 a.m., and the store opens at 8 a.m.

Original story:

The iPhone 5 will be live in people's hands Friday morning, and there are at least 11 places in Bellevue to buy it.

While there was no line as of Wednesday afternoon at the Apple Store in Bellevue Square, unlike in some other areas, the phone has proven to be popular even before it's been released, with so many online pre-orders that Apple pushed back the shipping date.

The Apple website points customers to the following locations that will sell iPhones:

• Apple Store Bellevue Square, 213 Bellevue Square
• AT&T, 180 Bellevue Square
• Verizon Wireless, 1033 Bellevue Square, 
• Sprint Store, 825 Bellevue Way NE
• Radio Shack Store, 100 SE Bellevue Way
• Best Buy, 457 120th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98005
• Walmart Store, 12620 Se 41st Place, Bellevue, WA 98006
• Radioshack Store, 4049 Factoria Square Mall
• Target Store, 4053 Factoria Square Mall SE
• Verizon Wireless, 3305 160th Ave SE
• Radioshack Store, 1299 156th Ave NE

The smartphone officially goes on sale Sept. 21 at 8 a.m., but not all stores may stock the iPhone 5 immediately, so you may want to check before heading out and lining up.

See if a store near you is selling the phones using this tool on Apple’s website. You can search for both Apple stores and other retailers. Read carefully because not all stores listed carry phones. Make sure to select "iPhone" from the "Products" drop-down menu.

The new iPhone is thinner and lighter than the last two generations, but it is taller to accommodate a bigger screen. Apple says its processing speed is much faster than its predecessors, as well.

The iPhone 5 starts at $649, but the price can come down to as low as $200 with a cellular plan subscription.

iPhone 5 sales could boost economic growth in the U.S. by a third of a percentage point during the fourth quarter, J.P.Morgan anticipates. However, NPR's Planet Money says J.P.Morgan's analysis is faulty, predicting that most who splurge on the new product before the end of the year will likely cut back on other spending, making it a zero-sum game.

Know other stores near Bellevue that carry the iPhone? Are you planning to queue up? Is the whole thing over-hyped? Leave a comment below to let us know.