line up times?`

[theotherallen]

hey all, since the iPhone 3G doesn't go on sale at 6pm like last year, what time do you all plan on getting in line for it?

i'm sure times will vary depending if you've got a stand alone store, or a mall.

mine's in a mall, so i need to figure out what time i can get in line. what about you?

[ColsTiger]

they'll start selling them at 8AM, so people will be lining up around 5:30 or 6.

[unheardthreat]

read my thread with the poll

[rlp2011]

hey all, since the iPhone 3G doesn't go on sale at 6pm like last year, what time do you all plan on getting in line for it?

i'm sure times will vary depending if you've got a stand alone store, or a mall.

mine's in a mall, so i need to figure out what time i can get in line. what about you?

Iwill be at the att store at 3.00am
:laugh2:

[ColsTiger]

Iwill be at the att store at 3.00am
:laugh2:

You'll be one of the first.

[Youngbinks]

It depends on if I see people at the store when I drive by. I'm doing a drive by at midnight or so and then going back around 5 (unless someone's already there, then I'll stick around).

[seeker]

I am putting myself down for 5am. I wish it were not a in-store activation. I hate it when I am crazy about some device and the sales guy has to open up the box.

[Eragon]

It depends on if I see people at the store when I drive by. I'm doing a drive by at midnight or so and then going back around 5 (unless someone's already there, then I'll stick around).

You've convinced me to come earlier. Taking Friday off anyway - who wants to work the day before their birthday, anyway? :wink:

[kevlar08]

It depends on if I see people at the store when I drive by. I'm doing a drive by at midnight or so and then going back around 5 (unless someone's already there, then I'll stick around).

wow midnight, that'll be a fun night

[Youngbinks]

You've convinced me to come earlier. Taking Friday off anyway - who wants to work the day before their birthday, anyway? :wink:

Well I'm basing my times off of the popularity of the store. At 6PM last year there were at least 60 people in line (I was first, woot) so I'm assuming there will be a large crowd again this year. That's pretty sweet that you get an early Birthday present.

As far as midnight being early, it really isn't that bad. I've waited 8+ hours for many things before. Waited 52 hours for a PS3 (that was such a waste) but I'm going to bring my iPod and laptop and just watch movies and TV shows and such.

[aknightstale41]

Well I'm basing my times off of the popularity of the store. At 6PM last year there were at least 60 people in line (I was first, woot) so I'm assuming there will be a large crowd again this year. That's pretty sweet that you get an early Birthday present.

As far as midnight being early, it really isn't that bad. I've waited 8+ hours for many things before. Waited 52 hours for a PS3 (that was such a waste) but I'm going to bring my iPod and laptop and just watch movies and TV shows and such.

How will you keep ur laptop powered? i only get aout 3 hours with mine before it needs a charge. Ill probably get to an att&t store around 3 am, ill load up my iphone with 3 full lenght movies, and bring my solio solar charger to keep it going if needed....and lots of popcorn.

[Youngbinks]

How will you keep ur laptop powered? i only get aout 3 hours with mine before it needs a charge. Ill probably get to an att&t store around 3 am, ill load up my iphone with 3 full lenght movies, and bring my solio solar charger to keep it going if needed....and lots of popcorn.

Well I will be using the iPod Classic and current iPhone more than the laptop. I'm probably just going to use the laptop to instantly sync my contacts and such once I get the new iPhone activated. I don't remember anyone's phone numbers these days.

[kevlar08]

Well I will be using the iPod Classic and current iPhone more than the laptop. I'm probably just going to use the laptop to instantly sync my contacts and such once I get the new iPhone activated. I don't remember anyone's phone numbers these days.

haha thats good thinking with the contact syncing

[iphone1027]

I too will be a doing a "drive-by" around 3 am. If I see a line I'll just wait 'till later.

[MeCool]

I'm thinking of getting there by 7:00am ish, I don't think the launch will be as big as last year.

The v2 is not getting half the press the first one did. I'm sure there will still be a lot of people but not crazy like last year (atleast I hope)

Of course cut to me showing up at 7:15AM and being the 112th in line....

I am hoping MOST people in NYC are going to be at the 24hr Apple store or the new Apple store on the west side. I'm gonna try my luck at one of the random at&t stores in a not so touristy area.

[aknightstale41]

I just got back from my local at&t store, and was told by the rep he dosent expect more then 60 or 70 phones, and he will probably be sold out by noon, this a small town here but i better get there before midnite instead of 3am like i wanted to.
He also said that they are being trained on activation this thursday, and should be getting in special cables to copy the info from the old sim (if wanted) to the new phone, and estimates at least a 20 minute process to activate per person.

[Youngbinks]

Dang 20 minutes is going to seem like the longest time ever. I never heard of the official number of iPhones that my AT&T store got in last year but I hope it is as least the same this year, if not more. Last year they let in 8 people at a time so as long as I am in the front 8 people in line I should be pretty happy.

[Eragon]

What movies will people watch while waiting in line? It's a toss up between Harry Potter and Star Wars. Got plenty of time; an external battery pack; and a 12-pack of coke. Am I missing anything? Oh, can't forget Travian!

[kevlar08]

I just got back from my local at&t store, and was told by the rep he dosent expect more then 60 or 70 phones, and he will probably be sold out by noon, this a small town here but i better get there before midnite instead of 3am like i wanted to.
He also said that they are being trained on activation this thursday, and should be getting in special cables to copy the info from the old sim (if wanted) to the new phone, and estimates at least a 20 minute process to activate per person.

20 min a person, that means you could be in line waiting all day while other people are getting there phones activated and asking a thousand questions

[patrick_83]

I just got back from my local at&t store, and was told by the rep he dosent expect more then 60 or 70 phones, and he will probably be sold out by noon, this a small town here but i better get there before midnite instead of 3am like i wanted to.
He also said that they are being trained on activation this thursday, and should be getting in special cables to copy the info from the old sim (if wanted) to the new phone, and estimates at least a 20 minute process to activate per person.


60 phones and 20 mins per phone...and what time did they wanna sell them all by :-þ. That is 20 hours of just activation/transfering.

I hope they have like 5 employees at each store doing nothing but activating and transfering.

Im just happy im not planing on getting the new 3g right away.

[Youngbinks]

What movies will people watch while waiting in line? It's a toss up between Harry Potter and Star Wars. Got plenty of time; an external battery pack; and a 12-pack of coke. Am I missing anything? Oh, can't forget Travian!

That's really funny you should ask because I've been trying to decide. I just put a bunch of "Arrested Development" episodes on my iPod so I'll be watching several of those for sure. As far as movies, I have a good copy of "Iron Man" that I will watch along with "Independence Day" (since I didn't watch it on the 4th).

I've got my Tune Juice with tons of extra batteries ready and I'm going to have a cooler with some drinks in addition to little snacks and such. I would definitely recommend food. Also! If you're going to be there from midnight on, then I would suggest bringing along some bug spray (at least I have to in Florida with all the mosquitoes).

[kisstine]

Yea, I'm thinking it sounds like it's going to be a great big mess. There should be two lines: one for people who want to ask a bunch of questions and one for people who know exactly what they need and just want to get it and get out.

I didn't want to stand in line all night, but we're in the middle of a heatwave here. I'd rather wait outside in the dark than be stuck in 100+ degree temps waiting for other people to activate their phones.

Now I need to rethink this whole thing and figure out what time to go...

[Hondamaker]

I can't imagine the lines being nearly as long as last year on iDay.

[kevlar08]

I can't imagine the lines being nearly as long as last year on iDay.

why dont you think so?

[kisstine]

I can't imagine the lines being nearly as long as last year on iDay.

Even if they aren't, with the in store activation they'd have to be less than half as long to make wait times the same. Last time, we were talking about people waiting in line to spend $600 on a cell phone that they'd never even gotten to play with. This time we are talking about a much more affordable pricetag, plus everyone knows someone who already has one and it insanely happy with it.

I think the hype is different, but I expect we'll see just as much interest.

[Hondamaker]

why dont you think so?Just my opinion, but I think most of the ppl getting the 3G already have an iPhone, so there really is no hurry to get one right away. I know ppl who are gonna wait a week or so for that very reason. I may do the same. I mean, you can still get SW v2.0 and the App Store, so what's the hurry to go stand in line? But I'm impatient like a kid at Christmas, so who knows.

[aknightstale41]

That's really funny you should ask because I've been trying to decide. I just put a bunch of "Arrested Development" episodes on my iPod so I'll be watching several of those for sure. As far as movies, I have a good copy of "Iron Man" that I will watch along with "Independence Day" (since I didn't watch it on the 4th).

I've got my Tune Juice with tons of extra batteries ready and I'm going to have a cooler with some drinks in addition to little snacks and such. I would definitely recommend food. Also! If you're going to be there from midnight on, then I would suggest bringing along some bug spray (at least I have to in Florida with all the mosquitoes).

Im curious Youngbinks, whats tune juice?
Also no need to sync your contacts on the spot there, as they will transfer them from your old sim to your new sim for you.

[aknightstale41]

20 min a person, that means you could be in line waiting all day while other people are getting there phones activated and asking a thousand questions

Yes, it will be a zoo.

[joe]

Just my opinion, but I think most of the ppl getting the 3G already have an iPhone, so there really is no hurry to get one right away. I know ppl who are gonna wait a week or so for that very reason. I may do the same. I mean, you can still get SW v2.0 and the App Store, so what's the hurry to go stand in line? But I'm impatient like a kid at Christmas, so who knows.

Nah, I think iPhone 3G is targeted at new customers and most people buying will be first timers. :smile:

[eye-Fone]

It depends on if I see people at the store when I drive by. I'm doing a drive by at midnight or so and then going back around 5 (unless someone's already there, then I'll stick around).
What happens if boat-loads of people start lining up at 1:00 a.m.? That line could be long by 5:00 a.m. ;)

[theotherallen]

i need to call my mall and ask what time they'll LET me get in there to get in line. im more than ready to be there fom midnight on....but we'll see

[|3are]

I just got back from my local at&t store, and was told by the rep he dosent expect more then 60 or 70 phones, and he will probably be sold out by noon, this a small town here but i better get there before midnite instead of 3am like i wanted to.
He also said that they are being trained on activation this thursday, and should be getting in special cables to copy the info from the old sim (if wanted) to the new phone, and estimates at least a 20 minute process to activate per person.
AT&T reps are incompetent (sorry to any AT&T employees on here). They don't know a damn thing right now. Heck, you said yourself that they aren't even getting trained on the activation process until Thursday! How could they possibly know how long it's going to take if they've never done it, much less done it repeatedly?

I'll be very upset if there are people there asking tons of questions or asking for their phone numbers to be transferred over. Do that sh*t on your own time instead of wasting everyone else's.

[|3are]

What happens if boat-loads of people start lining up at 1:00 a.m.? That line could be long by 5:00 a.m. ;)
I don't think that your run-of-the-mill phone customer is going to be waiting in line for an iPhone. It's only going to be the hardcore nerds like us.

The last time I was in an Apple store, there were people there looking at the v1s on display in a "that looks neat" kind of way. They had no idea that you couldn't get one in stores because a new one was on the way and wasn't being released until July 11th. Those kinds of people, while they may be more interested in the iPhone now that it's cheaper, are not going to be in line on Friday morning.

I think it would be funny to just sit at the store after I've gotten my iPhone, watching all the people walk up later in the afternoon/evening, absolutely shocked that they're sold out. The people who understand how amazing the iPhone is already have one (except for me due to contracts with Verizon and other failures).

I'll be showing up at 5 AM AT THE EARLIEST, probably closer to 6 or 6:30. Then again, I'll do the drive-by like other people have talked about at midnight or 1 AM just to make sure a line isn't forming. If there is, I'll run over to the 24-hour Starbucks for some coffee, run and grab my MacBook, iPod, and a book and start campin'.

[kisstine]

[QUOTE=|3are;289491]
...If there is, I'll run over to the 24-hour Starbucks for some coffee...

You have 24 hour Starbucks?! Does everyone have that??? Damn. I hate this small town thing. :-/

[aknightstale41]

AT&T reps are incompetent (sorry to any AT&T employees on here). They don't know a damn thing right now. Heck, you said yourself that they aren't even getting trained on the activation process until Thursday! How could they possibly know how long it's going to take if they've never done it, much less done it repeatedly?

I'll be very upset if there are people there asking tons of questions or asking for their phone numbers to be transferred over. Do that sh*t on your own time instead of wasting everyone else's.

I agree, many at&t reps just dont have the current information to pass on to the consumer and are making guesses. One rep told me she was 100 percent sure there would be a 3G demo in the stores the weekend before the launch...she was wrong.

[Youngbinks]

Im curious Youngbinks, whats tune juice?
Also no need to sync your contacts on the spot there, as they will transfer them from your old sim to your new sim for you.

It's a battery add-on basically for iPods. It's powered by 4 AA batteries and can keep an iPod Video going for like 8 additional hours per set of batteries. They're pretty convenient if you're not terribly close to a power outlet.

Yeah just saw the bit about syncing the contacts and stuff for you, that's pretty sweet.

[tdefriez]

Time is money - nearest Apple Store is in a mall (internal doors only) - wonder if security is going to open up at 8AM rather than 10AM (don't think so but.....).
I'm will turn up around 10AM, if queues to long I'll walk away and wait a week - it maybe a new phone but the additional features don't make it a must have it today item (beside living in a large city with 3 Apple stores and numerous AT&T stores I certain the queues will not be that long (baring all those students and school kids with too much money - remember it is a work day for anyone really earning money)

[flabyboy]

AT&T reps are incompetent (sorry to any AT&T employees on here). They don't know a damn thing right now. Heck, you said yourself that they aren't even getting trained on the activation process until Thursday! How could they possibly know how long it's going to take if they've never done it, much less done it repeatedly?

I'll be very upset if there are people there asking tons of questions or asking for their phone numbers to be transferred over. Do that sh*t on your own time instead of wasting everyone else's.

You think people are going to wait to have their phone number ported over?? How is that going to work?? I for one will be having my number transferred when I buy the phone. Why do you think they tell you to bring your account and pin number from your previous carrier with you?

[eye-Fone]

Heck, you said yourself that they [AT&T employees] aren't even getting trained on the activation process until Thursday! How could they possibly know how long it's going to take if they've never done it, much less done it repeatedly?
It's going to be chaos on Friday!! There may even be riots! :angry: (just kidding...I hope people will behave).

[kevlar08]

It's going to be chaos on Friday!! There may even be riots! :angry: (just kidding...I hope people will behave).

i wouldn't be surprised by july 11th iphone 3g riots lol

[kisstine]

Time is money - nearest Apple Store is in a mall (internal doors only) - wonder if security is going to open up at 8AM rather than 10AM (don't think so but.....).
I'm will turn up around 10AM, if queues to long I'll walk away and wait a week - it maybe a new phone but the additional features don't make it a must have it today item (beside living in a large city with 3 Apple stores and numerous AT&T stores I certain the queues will not be that long (baring all those students and school kids with too much money - remember it is a work day for anyone really earning money)

Just for the record, I'm a teacher, "really earn [my] money" and also won't be working on Friday (or for the rest of the summer for that matter). :)

[kevlar08]

Just for the record, I'm a teacher, "really earn [my] money" and also won't be working on Friday (or for the rest of the summer for that matter). :)

im a student and i wont be doing anything all summer either lol

[kisstine]

im a student and i wont be doing anything all summer either lol

... but I'm still getting paid :)

[kevlar08]

... but I'm still getting paid :)

good point :frown:

[Perplex]

... but I'm still getting paid :)
I'll tell you what though, Teacher's deserve their break as much as the kids do.

[slipperypete]

I'll leave my house at 6:30

[eye-Fone]

I'll leave my house at 6:30
Which may mean you'll be the 300th person in line. With the projected processing rate of 12-15 minutes per person (times the number of employees), what time will you get out of there? ;)

[|3are]

You think people are going to wait to have their phone number ported over?? How is that going to work?? I for one will be having my number transferred when I buy the phone. Why do you think they tell you to bring your account and pin number from your previous carrier with you?
I didn't mean carrying over your own phone number to AT&T from another provider -- I'll be doing that, too. That's just going to be part of the activation process, and people who are carrying their numbers over from another provider aren't going to have phones that work immediately after the process. It's going to take an hour or so (so they say), and I'll be far, far away from the store by the time my number is successfully carried over to my iPhone. But I digress, as this wasn't even the point I was making previously.

Someone had mentioned AT&T reps talking about having cables set up to port someone's address book (telephone numbers) from their old phone to their new iPhone 3G. That's what I was referring to. I don't want to be standing outside in the 90 degree heat while a customer and a sales rep. are tied up with that whole process for 15-20 minutes. Sync your address book through iTunes, or otherwise do it on your own time.

[slipperypete]

Which may mean you'll be the 300th person in line. With the projected processing rate of 12-15 minutes per person (times the number of employees), what time will you get out of there? ;)

300th in line? Your kidding right? There wasn't even 300 people in line for iPhone last year. I'll probably be #15 or so

[thedunn805]

I agree, many at&t reps just dont have the current information to pass on to the consumer and are making guesses. One rep told me she was 100 percent sure there would be a 3G demo in the stores the weekend before the launch...she was wrong.


i agree also. I went to at&t and they said it was just a rumor that they were going to open at 8am

but i'll be getting there around 5am

[eye-Fone]

300th in line? Your kidding right?
I hear ya! I'm just razzin' you a little bit. ;)

I live in a big city, but there are so many AT&T stores and a couple dozen Apple stores, people should be able to find one with short (or no) lines.

[iphone1027]

I'll tell you what though, Teacher's deserve their break as much as the kids do.
I totally agree. Sorry off topic a bit but, teachers (good ones @ least) deserve to get paid more. Hey they're educating the future leaders, doctors, engineers:wink:, etc

[flabyboy]

I didn't mean carrying over your own phone number to AT&T from another provider -- I'll be doing that, too. That's just going to be part of the activation process, and people who are carrying their numbers over from another provider aren't going to have phones that work immediately after the process. It's going to take an hour or so (so they say), and I'll be far, far away from the store by the time my number is successfully carried over to my iPhone. But I digress, as this wasn't even the point I was making previously.

Someone had mentioned AT&T reps talking about having cables set up to port someone's address book (telephone numbers) from their old phone to their new iPhone 3G. That's what I was referring to. I don't want to be standing outside in the 90 degree heat while a customer and a sales rep. are tied up with that whole process for 15-20 minutes. Sync your address book through iTunes, or otherwise do it on your own time.

Sorry, I misunderstood what you were saying. I can't imagine them doing that kind of transfer during the activation process with all those people in line. Who knows though? I still expect them to take 15 mins per customer.

[ScottNWDW]

I will probably get to the mall that the Apple store is in about 9:00am. Unless I decide to go to the at&t store I normally do business at. last year n iDay I stopped at the store at 3pm to buy a laptop connect card (forgetting it was iDay and they were closing early) and there was only about 15 people in line. Although it will be busy, I don't think it will be the same frenzy as last year.

[kisstine]

I didn't mean carrying over your own phone number to AT&T from another provider -- I'll be doing that, too. That's just going to be part of the activation process, and people who are carrying their numbers over from another provider aren't going to have phones that work immediately after the process. It's going to take an hour or so (so they say), and I'll be far, far away from the store by the time my number is successfully carried over to my iPhone. But I digress, as this wasn't even the point I was making previously.

Someone had mentioned AT&T reps talking about having cables set up to port someone's address book (telephone numbers) from their old phone to their new iPhone 3G. That's what I was referring to. I don't want to be standing outside in the 90 degree heat while a customer and a sales rep. are tied up with that whole process for 15-20 minutes. Sync your address book through iTunes, or otherwise do it on your own time.

But they do that with every new phone purchase. "Would you like me to transfer the contacts to your new sim?" The only people who are going to be able to do that themselves are the ones with v1 iPhones... and I still bet they'll want it done in the store so that they'll be good to start calling/texting as soon as they walk out the door.