iPhone 3G: Hurry up and wait

The two men who will be first in line when the Apple store in SF opens Friday at 8 a.m. to sell its first iPhone 3G.

(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET News)

This post was updated at 2:15 p.m. Pacific. See below.

They've arrived.

Apparently afraid they may not be one of the first people to get their mitts on the updated iPhone tomorrow, a few of the Apple faithful have taken position in front of the downtown San Francisco Apple store. At 8:30 a.m. Thursday, there were just two people and a tent.

Drinking a hot chocolate, and clad in a sport coat and tie, Dale Larson of San Francisco proclaimed the iPhone 3G launch would be "a way bigger deal this year than last year" when the original iPhone debuted.

That's why he arrived at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and slept on the sidewalk at the intersection of Stockton and Ellis streets: to make sure that he would be first when those glass doors open Friday morning at 8 a.m. (He readily recommends it too. "All you need is a tent, earplugs and an air mattress," he says.)

When asked why he went through all that trouble of camping and waiting (again--he camped out for the iPhone launch last year, too) when there were no shortages on the first day of last year's launch, he blames this year's new procedure requiring that all phones be activated in the store on the day of purchase. "I don't want to wait a long time tomorrow," Larson said.

The second man, who arrived at 7:30 this morning with nothing but a folding chair, doesn't actually want an iPhone. But Xavier Llanos, originally of Barcelona but currently teaching 4th grade in Suisun City, Calif., says a friend asked him to get an iPhone for him to bring back to Spain.

Because he's not really an Apple fan, he had no idea what he expected to pay, and got a bit uneasy when reminded he'd have to either buy the phone unlocked for $499 or $599 or sign a contract with AT&T.

Even if Llanos doesn't decide to buy one after all, he said he enjoys the spectacle of queuing up for a gadget.

His fellow line sitter put it the same way. "It's fun to meet all these people," Larson said. "People will stop in their cars on the street here and ask, 'Are you really waiting for the iPhone?'"

Good question.

Update: Well, this is sad. I trekked back over to the Apple store at 1:30 p.m. to see if anyone had joined Larson and Llanos in line, and lo and behold, the line remained at just two people. (Come on, S.F., Apple fanboys in New York are totally beating you!)

While Larson retained his position as first in line (though he'd taken cover in some shade and packed up his tent at the behest of the SFPD), Llanos had disappeared. In his place was Ryan Johnson, 25, a new arrival in San Francisco, casually eating a bowl of takeout stir-fry. When asked how long he'd been in line, Johnson, who describes himself as "retired from the Internet," replied that he "doesn't really pay attention to time."

Lucky him. That's probably the best attitude you can have while waiting in the direct sunlight all day and camping on a sidewalk to buy a phone.

Johnson and Larson, SF's two most loyal Apple fans.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET News.com)

[andrew.mager]

I think half the fun is waiting :)

[MadLyb]

Waiting may be the hardest part...

...but people dumb enough to give away a significant portion of their lives to buy a phone is both the funniest and saddest part.

I honestly don't know whether to laugh at them or cry for our society.

[Vegaman_Dan]

Give them credit- they only showed up Wednesday night and Thursday morning. It's not the week-long wait of last year. I think this is a pretty telling indicator that the day of waiting in lines for the sake of being first is on the way out. Perhaps it's jumped the shark.

[baldgod]

"Because he's not really an Apple fan, he had no idea what he expected to pay, and got a bit uneasy when reminded he'd have to either buy the phone unlocked for $499 or $599 or sign a contract with AT&T. "

If he gets the non-contract option, it's $599 or $699, and it's still locked to the AT&T network.

[dalellarson]

perhaps the best reason to wait in line is to keep asking (and answering) that question. It's good to step back once in a while, and 36 hours isn't too much time to reflect...

[n-solis]

I love that the guy who's waiting, what, 34 hours? in line gives as his reason: "I don't want to wait a long time tomorrow." Let's do the math on that one...

[DarioRuben]

Waiting in line for longer than 10-15 minutes for a product such as the iphone is absurd. Why would you queue up so far in advance for a product like that? Is the earth going to stop spinning on it's axis if you don't absolutely have it in your hands at 8 am pst? Are you going to be shamed out of your town/city for not having it at 8 am? So Dale Larson would rather wait 33 1/2 hours camped outside the apple store BEFORE iphone sales begin than waiting to purchase it on the day of? Hmm... somehow that seems like it's retarded logic to me. Call me crazy. And as for last year's iphone mania, I walked in on friday night at my local apple store here in Los Angeles at the grove & was out of there within 5 minutes w/ my new phone. Of course we do have quite a few apple stores here in LA, but even if we didn't , I still wouldn't queue up for a long line to buy an iphone.

[fidomccokefiend]

Just so I'm clear. This is a phone, right? And people are waiting in line for a phone. Really? A phone.

The president just signed a law that basically used the constitution as toilet paper, a law that seriously damages our civil liberties. People should be protesting in the streets. But we are waiting in line for a phone.

Never underestimate the stupidity of Americans.

[natemma5]

Ok Listen up!! You people who are judging other people about standing in line for the new iphone 3G really need to get a grip on LIFE!! Okay so it's not your cup of tea.....Great....fine then don't worry about it!!! Just as you may like fashion, or bowling, or enjoy the Wine of the month club.....that might not be the guy who's waiting in line for the iphone's cup of tea either!! Surprise........ that's what makes the world go round!! In case you haven't realized, not everyone is the SAME!! And just because someone chooses to wait in line for an absolutely GREAT, best phone ever invented iphone, doesn't mean that our society is failing or that were ignorant. (and I love the person who said we should be protesting.....that's funny....talk about a waste of time, at least I'll get an iphone out of waiting and not a sore throat and absolutely nothing to show for it! LOL!!) it just simply means that technology is interesting to us and that we don't mind waiting in line while you get your 12 hours of sleep and then start your boring day..........................WITHOUT AN IPHONE 3G!!!!!! (oh and MadLyb that said, and I quote "...but people dumb enough to give away a significant portion of their lives to buy a phone is both the funniest and saddest part." Seriously get a grip!! like several hours is a huge part or significant part of your life!! If that's a significant part of your life than I really feel for you......what are you doing that's so much more important.............SLEEPING!!! WOW!!!!

[wb114]

my first guess is .. ^^ is related to Larson .. haha