Maps bug can't cure Apple iPhone 5 fever

Apple fans queued around city blocks worldwide on Friday to get their hands on the new iPhone 5 - but grumbling about inaccurate maps tempered the excitement.

The new smartphone went on sale across the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia, with mobile carriers reporting record demand that looked likely to stretch Apple's supply capacity.

It looks like another strong opening day for Apple. They should sell more iPhone 5s than any prior model, said BTIG analyst Walt Piecyk. Apple shares gained 0.8 percent reaching, a high of $704.67 in morning trading in New York.

Apple booked more than 2 million orders for the device in the first 24 hours, double the first-day sales of the previous iPhone, the 4S.

Some analysts expect Apple to sell up to 10 million iPhone 5 models in the remaining days of September. JP Morgan estimates the phone could provide a $3.2 billion boost to the U.S. economy in the fourth quarter - a boost almost equal to the whole economy of Fiji.

Apple's rival and component supplier, Samsung Electronics Co , moved to spoil the party, saying it plans to add the iPhone 5 to its existing patent lawsuits against Apple.

As Apple began delivering its coveted new phone, struggling competitor Research in Motion, which makes the BlackBerry, had to admit that it was once again having service problems in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The iPhone 5 has a larger, 4-inch screen and is slimmer and lighter than the previous model. It supports faster 4G mobile networks and also comes with a number of software updates, including Apple's new in-house maps feature, which is based on Dutch navigation equipment and digital map maker TomTom's map data.

But not everyone was impressed. Some users criticized the maps feature for a number of geographical errors, missing information, and a lack of features.

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