Long Line for iPhone 5s at Manhattan Village Apple Store

Apple iPhone fans united to stand in line as early as midnight hoping to be able to purchase the coveted new iPhone 5s from the Apple Store inside Manhattan Village mall in Manhattan Beach.

Many who showed up before midnight and after were shooed away by authorities and security. Some managed to get a number handwritten on a piece of paper by mall security and were told to leave and return around 5:30 a.m.

About 30 people received a handwritten number.

Others, who arrived throughout the morning planted themselves with chairs, pillow and rations to await the store's special 8 a.m. opening. Though they didn't like the way numbers had been randomly given to some, they took their place in line behind those folks and waited for Apple staff to begin handing out phone tickets matching each customer in line's intended purchase to the phone and/or carrier they would use.

The new iPhone 5s comes in three finishes, two of which are new (space gray and the highly coveted and limited gold). Silver rounds out the selection. 

The long line went from the mall entrance near Island's and Macys, running in front of Macys and around its corner to the Macys side entrance that faces Rosecrans Avenue.

Here's a quick look.