Lines form for the new iPhone in New York and Tokyo
Here are two postcards from the front lines of the smartphone wars.
The first, at right, shows three college students from Monclair, N.J. — Matt Dodd, 18, Sam Epstein,18, and Keith Hobin, 19 — huddled under borrowed umbrellas in front of Apple's (AAPL) flagship New York Fifth Avenue store to buy the latest in multitouch cellular technology.
They arrived at 7 a.m. EDT, 24 hours before Apple is scheduled to begin selling the new iPhone 3GS to the public. The heavy rain hadn't let up since they arrived and the forecast was calling for more rain into the night.
The second, below, appeared on the Japanese website +D Mobile (English translation). It shows the roughly 200 customers who queued up Thursday morning near the Softbank flagship store in Tokyo's Omotesando shopping district to reserve their new iPhones, which won't arrive in Japan until June 26.
According a second report, smaller lines had also formed at Softbank outlets throughout the city and at many of the electronics stores that line Tokyo's Akihabara Electric Town.
The guys from New Jersey, who were among the first 15 people in line at the Fifth Avenue cube last July when the iPhone 3G went on sale, say they're here for the new iPhone, yes, but mostly for the "fun."
"It's an experience," says Keith Hoban, a freshman at Drexel University. "This doesn't happen too often. It's nice to just hang out at the Apple store, see what happens and be among the first to get it."
Funniest comment I've read in a while…simply burst out laughing…
"Lets see, people waiting in line. 1st person waiting on bailout to pay mortage, 2nd person, recently laid off with kids living on pop-tarts, 3rd person, doesn’t have a clue just thinks there giving away something for free, 4th person, car was repo’d but needs a faster way to view porn, etc……"
You know what I hate? People bashing people for bashing people. Meta-bashing is the only way to fly.
Go Apple!
Oh, and the lady in the white jacket walking away is on her way to work so she can pay for her house and car and feed the kids. Get a life people, its just a phone for crying out loud!
Lets see, people waiting in line. 1st person waiting on bailout to pay mortage, 2nd person, recently laid off with kids living on pop-tarts, 3rd person, doesn't have a clue just thinks there giving away something for free, 4th person, car was repo'd but needs a faster way to view porn, etc……
I find it funny that people think anyone who should be able to afford tha phone will be at work instead of there. I don't know about your job but I have PTO that I can use however I see fit. Whether its wasted on getting a phone or wasted on going to the spa, it's mine to waste.
iphone is like walmart. OVER RATED. If i need groceries i go to the grocery store. If i need a new outfit, i go to the mall… if I need to check my emails, i use my computer. If I want to listen to music, i listen to the radio, or my ipod!!!! Slow down people….. live life, not look at it all through a 5" screen.
Seriously people. Bashing someone for waiting in line for something? How many people wait in line to see a movie? Or to buy something on sale the day after Thanksgiving? This is no different. We are a nation of consumers. For better or worse, that's what we are. It doesn't mean they live meaningless lives, it just means they want to buy something that is in high demand. I speculate those that are bashing people in the comments are more likely to be living meaningless lives.
I sure wouldn't wait in line for anything such as this, but if someone wants to wait in line, who am I to judge? Would be nice to see such passion for a much worthier cause though.
To all those that have smartphones, HTS's and all others: I had HTC and SonyEricsson, and many more, but iPhone is the one, and why? just one reason, I had to reset, or restart HTC 10 times a day, I only restarted my iPhone 3 times in the past year, try the phone, and if you don't like it then write all those stupid comments.
um, just order it online, like I did. I'll probably have it in my hand before most of these wahoos get into the store.
and you wonder why our country is broke? everyone who has one iphone, is highly likely to get another.. and another.. wow.. and the unemployment level has been its highest in ages? wow.
For everyone that says "order it online…," You can only order 1 phone online. If you are going to get two for a family plan (like I am) then you have to go to the store to get at least one so why not just get both of them at once? Plus my old phone just broke 2 days ago so I don't really have a choice but to get one right away:)
it's just a freaking iphone. it's not the end of the world. sooner or later that iphone will be out dated and obsolete down the road..
I went in to Best But at 8:50pm tonight and reserved one for tomorrow, along with a time slot that I can just walk in, pick up the phone, walk out. Best buy is the best kept secret for getting iPhone 3gs! Tot hink I almost went to wait in line haha!
LOL people are crazy, but profit for me! it's just a phone, by a company that will never give you a perfect model of anything, how many generations of iPods/iPhones are there now? hm?
i've bought 3 3G iPhones off others for less than 10% what they paid and sold them for full price. lemmings indeed!
PALM PRE!!!!!!! LINUX OS!!!!!!! I RAN 20 APPS AT THE SAME TIME BEFORE THE PHONE BEGAN TO BOG DOWN SOME WHAT!!!!!!!!!!! THE REASON IPHONE'S RUN SO MANY APPS, APP THIS, APP THAT, "OH I NEED TO DIAL 911, OH IPHONE HAS A DEDICATED APP TO DIAL 911" SO MANY APPS BECAUSE THEY ARE SHORT CUTS TO HIDE THEIR MAJOR SLOW DATA SPEED, UNLESS YOU'RE WI-FI, THEN YOU LOOK GOOD, BUT IS WI-FI EVERYWHERE LIKE YOUR NORMAL 3G GSM SPEEDS ARE, NO NOT BY FAR SO APP YOUR PHONE TO DEATH, YOU'LL FORGET HOW TO USE "WWW.SUCH'N SUCH.COM" IPHONE JUST SHORT CUTS ALL SITES TO DEATH, HEY I NEED TO MAEK A PHONE CALL TO MY BROTHER IN ENGLAND, APP FOR BROTHER IN ENGLAND, I NEED TO HANG UP MY PHONE OH THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT…..YOU CANNOT SHORT-CUT YOUR WAY TO THE FINISH LINE…PRE CAN SHORT CUT TOO, BUT TRY THE WEB OS, THEY THE INTERNET..3G EVDO SPEEDS DOWNLOADS RANGE UP TO 3.4MBPS, UPLOADS RANGE UP TO 1.4MBPS, LETS NOT TALK ABOUT 4G SPRINT ALREADY HAS TESTED AND BEING DEPLOYED,ITS 4G, ATT JUST NOW STEPPING INTO 3G, OH HOW DO YOU MAKE THE PHONE APPEAR FASTER, APP IT UP, LOL
What more could you possibly want a phone to do than connect the call? Hey, I got this bridge for sale that keeps bad people out of your house. King Arthur used, and it still works!
i remember when i was in high school. always hanging out with friends, but don't have much place to hangout at late at night. hanging out at denny's, a parking lot, a closed park, doesn't matter. camping in an urban setting without being harrassed by cops is awsome.
I have the 3G, and only would want the newer phone for the better pictures the new version will take. The 3G's pictures are more often too blury and require multiple takes to get a half-decent picture.
My wife (who is no hacker)has already stated her next phone will be the HC Diamond b/c of it uses Android. Which most likely means my next phone will not be an Apple upgrade. I love my wife first so it's no biggie.
these people are fantastic. wasting their time sitting in line to get a phone that doesnt even work more than half of the time. I sell phones, and it is abcolutely insane how many iphones we see come back because of some kind of defect. have fun with your worthless piece of technology that apply simply tries to add stuff to instead of fix the problems it has
To be honest, I think people who bash others on the internet is wasting more time than the people who wait in line for their new gadgets.
Let's make a quick comparison:
College student waiting in line for iPhone: wastes time, but ultimately receives a new toy that they've been waiting for.
Rude online poster: posts hateful comments online thinking he/she is spending their time wisely, but ultimately only sends a few pixels of black and white on a web browser, only to find out that everyone looks down upon trolls who bash others on the internet.
In comparison, the college student may seem to be wasting more time, but if taken in perspective, the internet troll will eventually "waste" more time because people really don't care about what you say.
A little hypocritical for me to bash on the trolls about them bashing others, but hey, all fun and game right?
Oh, if I wanted an iPhone, I'd wait in line. But I don't, so I'm stuck bashing the bashers.
Cheers 
The reason you don't see this kind of following for RIMM products is because the people that use them have jobs they have to be at, hence why they bought a blackberry instead of a toy.
Regarding comments about posts from critical "trolls": You don't find it the least bit sad that consumption of rapidly obsolescing product plays such a large role in our culture and sense of individual identity?
It's not hard to imagine future anthropologists concluding that early 21st century Americans must have lead rather empty and unfulfilling lives.
Losers…. Continue on this path and we will never end this recession. More than likely the same people buying too much house and then begging the government for relief. People who can actually afford this phone won't be in line because of one simple fact… They will be at WORK.
Buyer Beware!! Now you know too well that in a few months (later this summer) when AT&T comes out with their pricing of tethering and MMS messaging plans; they will gouge these early customer's eyes out! They will lure in thousands upon thousands of loyal iPhone enthusiasts into an expensive 2 year contract and then raise the pricing on tethering and MMS! You should all wait until you see what the "entire cost of use" is before you buy! No crying later folks; you've been warned; and ATT has done this numerous times in the past!!!
i dont think its worth the wait. apple has been getting less innovative over time. their products, so far have been getting faster but not innovative.
People who stand in line for a cool gadget like the new iPhone 3gs to cone out means that they enjoy the finer things in life. People who writes these blog to judge people that enjoys what they do is quit miserable in their own life. Life is too shirt ENJOY it! Now who's the REAL loser!?!
It comes down to doing what you like without harming anybody else. If they like to stand there and have fun, let them have it. What you see as useful, others may not see thatway. If you think writing comments here is useful, there are folks out there who think it s a waste of time. So, let us not judge others through our likes and disalikes.
Wow – Haters central. Standing in line can be fun with friends – only did it once (at midnight so didn't miss work or anything critical) but it was a good time and didn't hurt anybody.
Complainers should get a hobby or something – God knows you could obviously use the distraction from the tedious people watching and subsequent obligatory complaining on posts like this.
I am shaking my head while reading this. These people make you understand this is an unproductive nation, we're heading into a black hole.
Hack, these young folks will carry this country? God help them to find better things to do.
Shouldn't the title of the article be "Appple 3.0" or more accurately "iPhone 3.0"?????
Perhaps those who dump on people lining up to enjoy something have never been sports fans, or music fans, or fans of anything. Perhaps… just perhaps, they are confused and dismayed that people other than them are enjoying their lives.
Well, I'll be at the Grove (LA) bright and early, but not because of any lack of things to do – just the fact that I'm leaving for Hong Kong later in the afternoon for an event where the new video feature will come in handy for me. I am a Computer Scientist by trade, have had every "Smart" phone that ever existed, and the iPhone has changed my life! I can run my entire worldwide business with just my iPhone – don't even need a laptop. This is mainly due to the availability of thousands of apps in the app store. No HTC, Pre, Android phone can top that.
If your writing a negative comment on here your a sad lonely person. I don't have an iPhone but its ok that people are happy. At least they are happy about something and not surfing the web spreading their misery to the rest of the world.
It just says a lot more about you then them.
Apple is amazing, not because of their products, but because of their marketing.
Apple has invented "fashionable electronics" which no other brand has ever done successfully before.
People will pay $$$ for brand name clothing & purses that are really not much better or even worse in quality from you can get at Wal-Mart, for the sake of being "fashionable" and for the status symbol. That's what we're seeing with Apple products.
I pre-ordered one from ATT but it will not be here in time. Now I remember why I left ATT in the first place. Oh well. I am a sheep.
I saw the new 3GS iPhone at an AT&T store that put one on display Thursday. It is definitely faster than the original one that I own. But with the 3.0 software installed, it really isn't much different except for the camera and video camera feature which is really cool.
Re:yep, that’d be Mac Fans. Too much free time and disposable income.
Posted By Jim, Walnut Creek, CA : June 18, 2009 5:38 pm
ya but we all know that Jim wishes he had all our free time and disposable income to blow on all our fun mac stuff! Don't hate us because we have worked hard and made the money to use mac products in our free time!
"Who is the loser now?"
Posted By Blair, NYC, NY : June 18, 2009 8:17 pm
Blair.. read over your post again and that answers your own question.
I personally wouldn't wait in line for an iPhone; I just don't get it. As someone previously mentioned, my HTC did all the iPhone stuff a years before iPhone was released.
However, I can see how it could be a memorable event for some of you younguns. It's sort of like when people my age went to Woodstock to be wet, cold, and, so far away there was no music to be heard. But, we talk and laugh about it to this day.
Have fun; life's too short. If waiting in line for an iPhone is your idea of a good time… do it. Phooey on all the naysayers.
Perhaps this will explain why we are willing to sit outside 24 hours in the rain. From recent survey of smart phone users – http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/0,7211,54522,00.html
iPhone users are richer, younger, and perhaps even more productive at work than those who use competing smartphones, according to a new study released Friday.
The study ($750 fee) from independent market analysis company Forrester Research suggests iPhone users comprise the elite upper class of smartphone customers. The data was compiled from 32,228 working U.S. adults in 2008. It found that those who own an iPhone are typically more active on their phones and more connected to the internet than those who fell into generic “smartphone” or “mobile phone” categories.”
The study, compiled by Ted Schadler, found that iPhone users are “more than twice as likely to access the Internet from their phone as working BlackBerry, Palm, or Windows Mobile device owners.” The research was inspired by anecdotal comments from companies such as Kraft Foods and Oracle that implied employees have a personal drive to use an iPhone at work, even when one is not provided by the employer.
The research suggests that an employee with an iPhone could be more productive: Those who carry Apple’s handheld device are more likely to stay connected to their employer’s network. Workers with an iPhone also usually leave their laptop at work, suggesting the phone essentially replaces the need for a traditional full-form mobile computer.
When comparing customer Internet usage, the study shows that the iPhone blows away its competitors. 78 percent of iPhone users reported they access the Internet at least weekly on their phone, while only 38 percent of the rest of the smartphone market were on the mobile Web that often.
i'm going to go get it after work tomorrow. I don't even care if they have one in stock or not. I'll just get it later if they sell out
Let people do what they want. If they want to wait outside in the rain to get the newest gadget, let them. It's their life, not yours. Just cause you think it's stupid doesn't mean they have to obey your opinions.
I can't believe how many trolls there are who are wasting their time writing hateful comments. it's as if they have nothing better to do in THEIR lives than to rip on people.
The iPhone is popular because of Apple and because of the App Store. Both pretty much unstoppable forces these days.
If you're posting here about what a waste of time it is to sit in line for a phone, you're really missing the irony (and kind of a douche).
Not going to sit in line because I have to work and it's way too hot here, but my current iPhone is awesome.
re: previous comment. People are judged for doing things they enjoy all the time. When they are productive and useful they're usually judged favorably, and when they are sloth-like, greedy, and useless they are usually judeged unfavorably. Also, waiting in line is not camping.
People have nothing better to do than this? It speaks for itself. If YOU actually think its reasonable to sit outside a store for a day, or more, for a damn phone [lots of cool features emphasis added (not really)]. I guess it waters down to attention though, "Hey look at me, I'm a loser, but I was first in line for a new product once." No, this is still depressing.
"VOICE CONTROL FOR MUSIC AND PHONE??
VIDEO
CAMERA
COMPASS
MMS
CUT, COPY and PASTE"
OMG my HTC diamond has been able to do this from day one and a slew of other things the Iphone can't do. I guess I just don't get why this phone is so popular.
The iphone is a toy, wow great new features such as cut and paste and video oooooo! Welcome to the world of those who already have real smartphones.
Lemmings
I downloaded 3.0. It has most of the iPhone GS features. The neat GS stuff wont be available till the Fall anyway i.e. MMS and the faster AT&T GS speeds.
true, but there is still a good stuff available on it
it allows some forgotten things to come to life again …
such as slide rule
bunch of losers with nothing to do – wait a month or two and the price will drop and they will have gotten rid of all the kinks
You sleep with your i phone. Congrats for being the first one with cancer from a cell phone! And by the way, if an i phone improves your life, you probably were not living one in the first place!
I'm amazed at comments like this:
"Ha ha…Losers…I cant think of people being more stupid
Posted By NK, West Palm Beach, FL"
What kind of human garbage is so hateful that they feel they need to make this type of statement to the world?
And it's sad to read how some people seem incensed that *other* people aren't spending their time "wisely". Like the people in line belong to them or something. LOL!!
Ummmm… for the record, Drexel University, where "freshman Keith Hoban" claims to be from, is in Philadelphia, not Montclair NJ…
And yes, it does seem stupid to wait for one of these things. Just order it online. Or better yet, wait for a week and walk into any store anywhere with no line…
ex ped: One can go to a school in Philadelphia and still be from Montclair, N.J.
I don't know – I think camping out with your friends is a lot of fun. I used to camp out with buddies for concert tickets in the 80s. Anyway, it is kind of funny to judge people for doing something they are enjoying with their time. It doesn't hurt anyone else.
Mr. Elmer-Dewitt, Is this a soggy debut? Hope you remember title of your article when the Pre was in stores the first day.
ex ped: So far it's a sodden walk-up.
First Video of The iPhone 3G S HAVE YOU SEEN IT ? IT WAS POSTED ON JUNE 16 THE BRAZILIANS WERE THE FIRST TO TOUCH IT !!
There’s a ENGLISH SUBTITLE video NOW on YouTube
the SOUND is much BETTER (no more MacBook Air’s loud song), with MORE than one SONG for the whole video.
It shows:
VOICE CONTROL FOR MUSIC AND PHONE??
VIDEO
CAMERA
COMPASS
MMS
CUT, COPY and PASTE
I ordered mine a week ago.. it will be delivered tomorrow. Watching my package being tracked now.
I'm amazed someone would really stand in line, in the rain all day, to do the same.
must be nice to have all these free time on hand…..afterall, it's just a phone til they upgrade it and make you stand even more lines.
It is summer time, college students are off for the summer, so of course they have free time. This is geek drama!
Anyone that disses the people in line has never owned an iPhone, the most perfect gadget ever invented. It augments my life. I sleep with it. I'm serious. These people who are passionate aren't losers … they understand, they have been pulled from the cave. You who scorn? Keep watching the shadows … silently … without music or a calendar or video chat on your cell phone. Who is the loser now?
What's notable about this post are the lines in Japan.
There were about 200 who lined up on June 18 at Softbank's flagship store in Tokyo. This was just to pre-order iPhone 3G S.
To borrow a quote from Birra on Google Finance; "And I was told the Japan iPhone needed a charm holder to sell. Oh well … when will I quit listening to analysts?" LOL … Birra must have read that in Wired.com back in Feb. Brian X. Chen may need to write a new post – "Why the Japanese love iPhone" (same title as before with "love" substituted for "hate")
The Japanese have many high end smartphones, but most are kludge (poor integration of software/hardware). iPhone kicks tail on UI and user experience. The Japanese also love to shoot video and send MMS … both now available with iPhone 3G S
If the author would actually read the article, he'd realize that they were just standing in line to get a ticket to get an iPhone when it is released in Japan on the 26th.
ex ped: That's what the author said.
hmmm, doesn't Apple usually give out free stuff at their launches? Young poor college students maybe hoping for a chance at some free gear? If that was true, I wouldn't mind lining up for one day. I pulled an all nighter for a gravy flavoured "People's Chip" one time… that sure was less exciting, but doing it with friends makes it fun.
Being that Apple will deliver an order to your door, there's no reason to line up, sit in the rain for a day let alone hours.
AT&T has also done the preorders so that means more people that bought in advance will get theirs and just pick them up when they want starting at 7 am on their way to work.
So if you wait in a line, you are basically someone who loves lines.
Last year when they required in store activations, that really took its tolls on people waiting and waiting and waiting as the system was slowed by the demand.
This year there isn't forced in store activation, so it should be easier all around. Besides, many users will not do the typical upgrade. They won't shell out the extra cost to do so.
Umm, "free time" by definition means that people are free to do whatever they want to do with it. So they want to stand in line? It's still a free country – unless you want to argue otherwise.
The real losers are those who waste their time posting here what losers these people standing in line are.
Please tell me what is important enough to stand in line for? We are only on earth to do two things. 1. Survive. 2. Breed. Everything else is irrelative to anything in the long run. Do what you want, and let others do the same. As long as it is all legal, what matter of it of yours?
“This doesn’t happen too often. It’s nice to just hang out at the Apple store, see what happens and be among the first to get it.”
Translation: We have nothing better to do.
And as young college students, do they really have the money to afford it?
And this is why you should buy Apple Stock. As disccussed recently, http://www.savingtoinvest.com/2009/06/apple-stock-soaring-new-iphone-and.html , if people are this willing to get an essentially 3 yr old product with a few tweeks then think about how keen they would be for the new Apple tablets that are coming out later in the year. Now if only AT&T could keep up with demand!
Pre, Rimm & Android fanboys can talk all they want but only the iPhone draws this kind of following. I wonder if the smartphone platform race is already over and we just don't realize it yet. The PC "platform" played out the same way only it was MSFT that had won long before IBM and Apple realized it.
I never understood the desire to waste days or more of your lives to stand in line for a product….any product.
Where else can you wait in line, get free snacks and beverages and have fun while waiting for the coolest smartphone on the market ?