Another reason is the cost of purchasing the device and plan, which seems likely to be a mismatch with potential subscriber defections from other carriers such as Sprint and T-Mobile.

FORBES: Verizon iPhone Sales Overblown?

If you're just in the market for purchasing the new iPhone, not the in-line circus, there are several other stores that plan to carry the iPhone 5 on Friday.

CNN: How to wait in an iPhone 5 line

The move helped reassure the market, as there were concerns before the meeting of finance ministers that Japan would be subject to criticism for its plan to double the size of its asset-purchasing program, announced earlier this month.

WSJ: Nikkei Outperforms Asia as Yen Slides