Promises of an iPhone attract a crowd downtown
By EMILY SKEHAN I Special to the Daily Press
DOWNTOWN A power cord stretched over the sidewalk, multiple wires dangled from computers in the laps of the “techies” who lined the street in folding chairs. This wasn’t the typical array of campers on the Third Street Promenade.
The phone-shaped cardboard cutout hanging in the storefront Thursday said it all: “iPhone, coming June 29.”
“Now that’s just silly,” muttered a passerby outside the Apple store. More than a few visitors made comments as they shuffled past the hodgepodge line of a dozen or so Apple zealots. Others just giggled and shook their heads.
“I guess they really want an iPhone,” said one young girl, swinging her mother’s hand.
The product, much hyped by Apple since the company unveiled the phone’s design in January, goes on sale at all 164 Apple stores across the country today. Stores are extending their hours until midnight in anticipation of the rush. The phone utilizes an innovative touch-screen device that also features a camera, digital music player and Internet capabilities. Using their fingers to scroll, zoom and type, users can send e-mails, watch videos, locate places on a map, take and edit pictures and, even, make phone calls.
All this fun comes at a price, a decidedly steep one at that — either a $499 or $599 model. However, sticker shock didn’t seem to come into play Thursday.
Among those waiting in line outside of the Promenade store on Thursday — more than 30 hours before the phones go on sale today at 6 p.m. — was Santa Monican Jim Barrow, who sat watching movies on the MacBook Pro. Barrow lined up at 10 a.m. Thursday because he expects hundreds more to join the line by this evening.
“I want to get it so I can play with it over the weekend,” he said, adding that he thinks the iPhone will be more popular than other so-called “smart phones.”
“Apple knows how to make a product that’s easy to use,” he said.
Barrow noted that the Apple store manager was very receptive, welcoming the prospective phone purchasers and bringing them water to keep cool.
Gavin Garrison and Graham Tyler were first in line on Thursday. Gavin came down from Santa Barbara, Graham from the Palisades. Both thought the outdoor setting of the promenade store was more conducive for waiting.
“Everyone will be going to malls,” said Garrison, “and they’ll kick you out if it gets too crowded.”
Shoppers hoping to purchase other Apple products might want to avoid the retail chain until after the iPhone craze calms down.
While the phone has been criticized on techie blogs across the nation for its potentially hard-to-operate key-pad, sometimes slow Internet speed, and lack of firewall security, video recording capabilities and instant messaging, lines for the product will probably continue to expand until its release tonight Meanwhile, the group in Santa Monica say they will be waiting it out with their books, laptops and non-iPhone phones as the line continues to grow.
Garrison and Tyler weren’t worried about losing their place during bathroom breaks, however.
“We’re using the buddy system,” Tyler said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 29, 2007. Read the original PDF.