Chicago resident Matt Garlock celebrates after purchasing an iPhone 4 today at the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)
Several thousand people in a half-mile-long line waited outside the Apple store on North Michigan Avenue this morning to buy the new iPhone.
Some had waited patiently all night long. Others impatiently all night long. But all felt compelled to be among the first with an iPhone 4.
“Being one of the first to have it is probably my number one priority for standing in line. I hope it’s worth it,” said Daniel Mendoza, 25, who got in line about 4 a.m. “They got us out here like some animals in this heat,” he observed.
At 9 a.m., some 3,000 people were lined up on the sidewalk from Erie Street at Michigan Avenue, then along Erie to St. Clair Street, then northward along St. Clair to Huron, and finally winding up at Huron and Michigan, outside the store.
Two lines were set up: One for people who reserved the new iPhones for purchase, and the other for people taking their chances that the new devices would not be sold out by the time they got into the store.
Apple employees moved up and down the line continuously this morning with cardboard boxes filled with water bottles and energy bars for the new gadget’s devoted clientele.
Greg Glass only waited in the reserve line since 6 a.m. but said he had waited for six hours at a Tennessee Apple store when he purchased one of the iPhone’s previous models, the 3G.
“It’s a really big upgrade from my old 3G,” Glass, 30, of Chicago, said of the new version. “It’s got a better camera…better software. Everything’s better. It’s a lot faster.”
Steve Lieberman, who also had his iPhone 4 on reserve, concurred.
“The display is phenomenally better. The ability to do video teleconferencing. It’s probably going to revolutionize the phone industry,” said Lieberman, 26, also of Chicago.
Some, like Mendoza, complained that they had tried to make a reservation but couldn’t and were forced to wait in the longer general line. He said Apple personnel told him the ratio of people getting entry to the store from the reserve line compared to the general line was 10 to 1.
“I just had to pay my first $5 (for parking) for an hour and a half. I’m sure I’m going to pay $15, $20 to be parking down here,” Mendoza added.
Abdur Rafe, who arrived to the general line about 4 a.m., said he had waited in the long lines for previous versions of the iPhone. But he said today’s lines were worse.
“This time they (Apple) managed it so badly. At least they should’ve put it on their Web site that the priority would be for pre-ordered items,” Rafe, 56, of Chicago, said.
– Jeremy Gorner
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…
These people always make me roll my eyes. Standing in line for hours just to be the first one to have a god damn phone? Give me a break. You are all losers.
Dummys.
Damn thankful I’m not of the “electronic gadget overload” generation….
“They got us out here like some animals in this heat”
I love that someone who has chosen to stand in line of his own free will has likened himself to an animal that has been left outside. If you don’t like the heat then get out of line. You obviously feel that the iPhone is worth waiting for so don’t blame the Apple Store for your choices.
“They got us out here like some animals in this heat”
As someone who got to the store at 4:30 this morning, saw the line, and said a phone is not worth it and ordered online, you are getting no sympathy from me.
These people need to get a life!!!
Hello! It is a phone people.
If 3000 people find personal satisfaction from standing in line under unfavorable weather conditions to be the first to own a freakin phone, it makes me wonder if they have ever experienced life’s true pleasures: love, sex, compassion. I feel sad for these people.
I stood in line for 4 hours and am glad I did. This is the United States of America, people, and if I want to do it, it’s my decision. Maybe you are all losers for having the time to write comments to dumb newspaper articles.
I have a 4 year old Nokia flip phone. Is that cool?
To the people in the year 2050:
We’re sorry for what we, the good people of 2010, are giving rise to. I’m sure you all will suffer under this generations’ misguided and totally disproportionate love affair with their “smart” phones. I’m certain this will have damning consequences for you, and, I will (mercifully) NOT be around to witness it/them.
Again, we’re sorry. We tried, but these geeks have us totally outnumbered.
Sincerely,
Born in 1971
Meanwhile, children went hungry, women were abused, and people were shot in Chicago. Glad these folks have their priorities straight. But enjoy your new toys that will be obsolete in six months!
This just proves that we are doomed to fail as a species. Design fail.
Thom – “Maybe you are all losers for having the time to write comments to dumb newspaper articles.”
Perhaps you should think twice before responding, huh? Did you have an app for that?
Wow, there’s a lot of hate out there… you guys must be stuck on Verizon or something, and if you can’t HAVE the iPhone, then its easier to HATE on the iPhone.
I continue to be amazed at the “Apple Zombies” that Steve Jobs created and cooked up!!
Apple can sell dog crap and thousands of people will stand in line ready to eat it up.. Steve Jobs, you are the “MAN” when it comes to feeding the public another crappy, small phone with no real advantages over the HTC Evo, Incredible, or Nexus One..
Apple Zombies, keep standing in line and paying for Steve Jobs’ summer homes, private planes, and yachts. Lemmings all lemmings..
wow, these losers can stand in line for a gadget, but if we need them to fight for our country they would come up with a ton of excuses as to why they are physically unfit for military service..pathetic bunch of males..
One word: PATHETIC.
Actually, it’s easy to hate on the people whose happiness is determined by getting a new iPhone. Most of us could afford one if we wanted to. We just have better uses for our money than paying $200+ up front and $100 a month for a new smart phone. Most of us also have jobs that would require us to be at work at 10am on a Thursday morning, not standing outside an Apple Store.
Idiots. Herd with no brains.
Sucker
Look at the Tribune photo of the guy holding up the iphone 4 like he just won the Stanley Cup! Hahahahahahaha!
Steve Jobs needs to open up his own MBA program and business school!! The guy is a pure marketing genius.. I own 2 companies and would love to get millions of people to pony up $200 without thinking or hesitating..
Mr. Jobs, you have earned your billions and I applaud your talent and skill!
Now, where do I get an application to attend Steve Jobs’ MBA program?? Hahahahahahahaha!
I didn’t wait in line (but only because I refuse to affiliate with AT&T after some bad experiences). To the commenter who said Steve Jobs could sell dog crap, I beg to differ. His products are the antithesis of dog crap, and THAT, along with customer service, is why people line up. Apple people like products that “just work.” I don’t want to have to rebuild or reprogram a PC to make it do my bidding. I don’t want to have to do security downloads constantly. If you have the ability to build a PC that is more powerful than a Mac, I applaud you–I honestly admire that. But I didn’t major in computer science. I have no desire to write programming. I just want to take it out of the box and have it work and have all of my Apple products “talk” to each other seamlessly without my having to jump through hoops and argue with the various tech support people for my other devices only to discover they aren’t allowed to help me sync with my Mac. I’m glad we have at least one AMERICAN company that can hit it out of the park (globally) and be hugely successful and see their stock climb during these frightening economic times. It surprises me how many people seem to resent their success. Congrats to all you new iPhone owners.
Attn mental health experts of Chicago…..here’s your one-stop shop for future clients, all conveniently gathered in one locale for your choosing!
Smc,
I don’t think most people resent Apple’s success. A lot of people, me included, cannot stand the “ICRAP” that Steve Jobs expects his customers to buy!
Other than a few obvious updates to the the Iphone 4, is it truly “evolutionary” compared to the original Iphone or Iphone 3GS???
At least HTC made the FIRST 4.3 inch touch screen phone, first 8 Mega Pixal camera, fastest cellphone processor, and first HDMI port so you can view your photos or a movie in HD on your HD TV!!!!
Where is Apple with all the new innovations??? That’s what kills me! Steve Jobs comes out and makes a big hoopla about the new Iphone and THERE IS NOTHING NEW!!!!!!
People have a blind following towards Apple and to stand in line for hours for a basic phone update from the 3GS is ridiculous!
Sally,
Can’t have an Iphone? Jealous of an Iphone 4?? NEVER, I had a 3GS and promptly returned it because of all the dropped calls on At&t’s crappy network. Fastest 3G network?? At&t, you should have been sued for false advertisement..
At least now their life is complete… until the next iPhone comes out that is.
I really enjoy my MacBook and other Apple products, but these people need to get their priorities in order. 4 hours in line for a phone? Do they not have jobs to be at on a Thursday morning? If they took the day off for this, than that’s even more disturbing.
Apparently they need the new iPhone so they can be even further disconnected from reality.
I find it disappointing that those with such negative comments are so compelled to read (or not read, which is just as likely the case) an article that they clearly had strong negative feelings about and then post their venom for all to see. They are seemingly just here to bait others in a flame war over which technology is best, how they should choose to spend their time, what should be important to them etc. I have to ask you, why you would bother to spend YOUR time here posting with such malice? At least those that stood in line did so in pursuit of the joy of acquiring something they desired. They made the choice of what it was worth to them. So what motivates a person that is only here to lambast others choices? Why click over just to spew your spiteful remarks? What does it get you?
Wow, lot’s of negativity here. I have a stable job, wife, car, house, dog… I still chose to wait in line overnight for the fun and adventure of it. I will likely never do it again, but it was a blast! I met a ton of really nice people. Best part was I was out of the store by 7:30am and into work by 8:30. The new phone is great, screen, camera, etc. are amazing. I hope you all find happiness at some point in life, I had it before this phone and will have it long after.
The Droid X and HTC Evo are better