The madness begins! Apple fans begin queuing outside flagship London store in makeshift tents ahead of Friday's official launch of the iPhone 5S

Fans of the iPhone 5S have began queuing outside Apple's flagship store ahead of its official launch on Friday.

The first diehard customer has been spotted camping outside the gadget giant's London store in Regent Street - and says he would only consider selling his spot for a four-figure sum. 

Gad Harari, 17, is spending his second night in a makeshift tent as part of a four-day wait for the latest iPhone model, which comes with an in-built fingerprint scanner.

He said he has already refused an offer of £200 for his place in the queue - predicting that people would offer up to £1,000 later on.

The teen, who set up camp yesterday with friend Noah Green, also 17, has been sheltering from the wet weather under a green tent kitted out with all the latest technology, including one of Apple's MacBook laptops.

We are always among the first to get a new iPhone,' said Mr Harari, who is a familiar face outside the firm's store. 'I came down last night to be the first - this time we really wanted to be first.

'It's how you really show your dedication to Apple products. As well as that, you do have the opportunity to sell your space.'

The student, who lives in Hendon, London, added: 'I would probably sell my place in the queue for about £1,000. There are crazy people who are willing to do that.'

Both Mr Harari and Mr Green said they plan to buy the 5S, which was unveiled for the first time last week along with Apple's first mid-range phone the 5C. They both go on sale on Friday at 8am.

The 5S device, said to be twice as fast as its predecessor, sets itself apart from its competitors with its Touch ID feature. This allows users to unlock their phone and purchase apps with the touch of a finger.

I'm really excited. It's going to be incredible, this launch. It's going to be the biggest yet.'

The student, who runs his own web business, said he has queued for Apple gadgets for the past four years.

'I collect Apple products,' he said. 'I pretty much have everything that Apple makes.'

The 5S - which comes in gold, silver or 'space' grey - is made of high-grade aluminium.

It will be available through EE, O2, Three, Carphone Warehouse and Phones4u, priced at £549 (16GB), £629 (32GB) and £709 (64GB).

The cheaper 5C - introduced at a time when the tech giant arguably faces stiffer competition than ever before - represents Apple's first move away from the high-end market.

It has been available for pre-order and comes in a range of vivid colours, priced at £469 (16GB) and £549 (32GB).