Verizon To Open Up At 8AM. 1st Iphone. How Early DO I get there?

[HeyGreggie]

I'm hoping I dont have to get there at 5am and stand in line. I'm prepared, extended battery & twitter ready to make sure I dont really HAVE to, but still..

How early should I get there? is 5am too early? Is 7am too late?

Granted, I'll be in the Washington DC/VA area.

 

[anon(4698833)]

It's never too early...when the total redesign iPhones come out, you would find people camping out for them, and you still may find some doing it this time as well, but probably not quite as early.

When the 3G came out, me and the wife had camping chairs and umbrellas (because it was raining torrentially for the first few hours)...we got there around 1am and were like 30th in line, the line ended up having thousands of people in it.

The iPhone 4 was worse, though we were in line inside a mall, so the heat and humidity wasn't a problem that time...and they gave out Chikfila biscuits which was awesome. We were in line for that from 4am until around 1-2pm, and we pre-ordered.

This is the first time I've done delivery, and honestly, I think i will always do it in the future now, because i don't have to waste a day in line when it'll just come to me.

 

[ilwhana]

you wouldn't have to hurry if you not getting from Apple

 

[imwjl]

Look for a corporate owned store a bit off the beaten path or a new one not so well known. When the Verizon iPhone came out I was surprised a relatively new store in a suburban area had phones at the same time there were lines at BestBuy and Apple Store.

 

[StaticFX]

with VZ.. i doubt you will have to get there too early. Online pre-order is behind... but from what my buddy said (who works in about 5 stores) - there have not been very many pre-orders in store, there will be plenty to go around.

I would go to a less popular vz store instead of a main store where many other will go.

Good Luck!!
Im planning on going on fri night after work...

 

[Premium1]

I would call in and ask if they know how many they are getting and I would think you won't have to be there too early. Finding a store that isn't in the middle of a mall or something may make it easier also. If nothing else call around tomorrow if the first store you go to runs out which I don't think they will.

 

[CalifJewls]

My plan is to leave my house at 7am..get in line at the Verizon Store, iPad in hand, logged into TiPb.com! No stress my local Verizon Stores say they will have plenty of phones on launch day!

 

[anon(4698833)]

Not to rain on anyones parade, but just FYI...in previous years, the term "plenty" was quite subjective, one year AT&T said they had plenty of iPhones, but it turned out that they did have a lot of iPhones all together, but many of them were pre-orders, and then more than half were the larger, more expensive 16GB (when the only options were 8 and 16)...so while it very well may be the case this year that they have plenty of stock of all models, i wouldn't take the crowds lightly just in case...you might end up with no phone or having to plop down cash for a more expensive model than you had originally planned to.

 

[dandbj13]

I am a veteran of the lines and home delivery. I have bought every iPhone/Pad since the original. It all depends on what you are getting. If CDMA, I wouldn't think the demand would be as great, but the supply will be far less as well. In other words, there may not be a long line, but you had better be one of the first.

GSM is a different animal. Depending on where you live, if you are not already in line, you might be too late. Seriously, you need to prepare to spend the better part of a day if you want one tomorrow. There is a reason the lines are longer at Apple stores; that's where the phones are. Waiting any place else is a craps shoot. Walmart might have 30 or so, if you're lucky, but Apple will have a thousand.

I was able to preorder this time. Honestly, though, waiting for the delivery truck is more stressful than standing in line. I keep the curtains open and wait by the door the whole time. Also, UPS delivers late in the day where I am. My doorbell does not always work, so I am always afraid of missing a delivery. I will be a basket case by the time it finally arrives.

Waiting in line can be fun as long as you prepare well. There is instant community among the line sitters. The atmosphere is quite festive. There are trade-offs either way. The worst decision you can make is to not take it seriously, get their to find that the line is around the block, wait for hours before you get in, only to discover they are out of the model you want.

If you can, go insanely early. See what the line is like. If it is fine, check back in a couple of hours. Measure the growing line against your pain point for waiting and the risk of not getting what you want. You will have only yourself to blame if you come away empty. There is HUGE demand for this phone. Don't believe the pundits.

 

[Garz]

I say 6am. Last year I lined up at Apple at 5:30am and had 500-1000 people in front of me. I suspect we wont have as big of lines this year. Big lines but not huge

 

[anon(4698833)]

I am a veteran of the lines and home delivery. I have bought every iPhone/Pad since the original. It all depends on what you are getting. If CDMA, I wouldn't think the demand would be as great, but the supply will be far less as well. In other words, there may not be a long line, but you had better be one of the first.

GSM is a different animal. Depending on where you live, if you are not already in line, you might be too late. Seriously, you need to prepare to spend the better part of a day if you want one tomorrow. There is a reason the lines are longer at Apple stores; that's where the phones are. Waiting any place else is a craps shoot. Walmart might have 30 or so, if you're lucky, but Apple will have a thousand.

I was able to preorder this time. Honestly, though, waiting for the delivery truck is more stressful than standing in line. I keep the curtains open and wait by the door the whole time. Also, UPS delivers late in the day where I am. My doorbell does not always work, so I am always afraid of missing a delivery. I will be a basket case by the time it finally arrives.

Waiting in line can be fun as long as you prepare well. There is instant community among the line sitters. The atmosphere is quite festive. There are trade-offs either way. The worst decision you can make is to not take it seriously, get their to find that the line is around the block, wait for hours before you get in, only to discover they are out of the model you want.

If you can, go insanely early. See what the line is like. If it is fine, check back in a couple of hours. Measure the growing line against your pain point for waiting and the risk of not getting what you want. You will have only yourself to blame if you come away empty. There is HUGE demand for this phone. Don't believe the pundits.

Whaaa?

 

[SMELTN]

So I am with AT&T and was JUST wondering this same question. One of the employee's at the store told me they should have enough to go around as long as you are there when they open at 8am... It really depends on your location (how big your town is honestly)

I was thinking of getting there at around 7-7:15... but now I am getting worried and will probably show up at 6 or so just to make sure. I will be bringing me a chair and my iPad and just read the Daily while I wait.

 

[Garz]

Posts removed. Please dont call anybody names. Keep it civil.

 

[dcgore]

In my opinion, if you want a greater chance of getting a phone go to very obscure carrier stores and don't worry about getting there at 4am.

I recall when the original came out i went to the apple store and the line was madness. Instead i went around the corner to an att store and was the 9th on line 2 hours before launch.
Last year for the 4, i camped out at the Upeer West Side store in NYC and was like the 50th person in line except in the morning hundreds upon hundreds of people who pre-ordered for store pick up were let in first so i was pretty close to not getting one.

I would actually check today with those ghetto retail stores, maybe even put my name down. There won't be lines at these places and they always welcome the business.