Verizon iPhone customers line up across the US

No lines for a product in the middle of its cycle? Not really surprising. What does surprise me is that there are any lines at all. When was the last time anyone saw a line for an Android phone at any store, ever? Oh yeah. It hasn't happened.

I didn't have to wait in line, thank goodness. I walked in, and about 5 people said, "right this way"...the setup was a little bit of a wait as they realized it caused problems to have people upgrade their monthly plan before activating the new iPhone. But, overall, I don't think I spent any more time in the Verizon Wireless store that I visited than I would have if there to purchase any other phone. I'm satisfied...and the reports are true. Me and co-worker simultaneously pulled up google.com and my phone lagged a good three seconds on his ATT phone. But, I think my iphone 4 has a muuuuuch better call volume. And that, small as it may be, is even enough of a difference for me!

I wouldn't expect this to be anything like past iPhone releases. Most people who want it are existing Verizon customers that had a chance to preorder it last week. I think the cancellation fee on AT&T contracts is probably the biggest barrier preventing a lot of users from switching now. I don't think we'll know for about 2 years how big the impact of the Verizon iPhone will be on AT&T.

I love how everyone is equating this to past releases. I fully support ATT bashing but this is last years phone people. It has already been out. Just a new network.

Of course it isn't going to be as busy. Not comparable.

No lines here in Boulder. I showed up at the Apple Store at 8:30am, and was greeted with applause (presumably because they were glad someone showed up). Heard I was about the 10th customer. Staff were fighting over who would help me buy the phone, just so they would have something to do.

I think the light lines are actually a good thing - while everyone likes the theater of huge lines like the 3G days (I was there), what people really want is to get their phones. So preorders, online orders, and lots of sales outlets kept lines low. Demand would naturally be lower than a normal "new product release" anyway, so I'd say that whatever Apple did to make sure there would be sufficient stock and no lines worked.

Odd that electronics and live music tickets are the only industries where huge lines are considered a good thing - every other industry tries to make sure there are sufficient products and outlets to serve all the customers...

I was considering waiting around for an LTE, but my ATT 3G got no service in my apartment - making calls was more important than LTE for me right now. ;)

I went at 7 a.m. to my local Apple store. No line. About a dozen customers all being helped at once and I was helped immediately. I left in less than 15 minutes. Much better than the AT&T nonsense. I also went home activated myself in just a minute or so and my phone was working.

I was jailbroken 10 minutes later.... Guide as usual on the site :)

Meh, my girl got her VZW iPhone via Fedex on Monday. No lines, no problems - The Apple Store even had universal cases that day, so she got to take it right out of the package and put it right into a Speck hard plastic case.

She couldn't be happier with it!

At the mall near me, they sold their Vzn iPhones yesterday, there was a line outside as I passed a little after 6am. No line today, so they must have gotten permission to go a day early.

The real story is how light the lines were, but the headline indicates the opposite.