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iPhone fans line up early at Augusta Verizon storeFeb 10, 2011 (The Augusta Chronicle - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A little snow and rain Thursday morning didn't stop Michael and Rose Woods from heading to the Verizon Wireless store on Robert C. Daniel Jr. Parkway to snap up Apple's iPhone 4. It was the first day customers could purchase the devices in a store from Verizon or Apple to use on the Verizon network, and the Woods weren't going to miss it. They arrived about 3:30 a.m. and stayed in their car until the doors opened at 7 a.m., where a line of more than 50 people had formed. The pair, who were already Verizon customers, said the purchase for them was about consolidating. They already had iPods and liked that the device will combine music and call functions with other features. "We wanted one gadget instead of two," Rose Woods said. Verizon customers could begin ordering the phone online last week, and the company reported record demand on the day those orders began. Apple's iPhone was exclusively sold for AT&T for nearly four years, prompting speculation about when its monopoly would end. The device often appeals to young people, professionals and the tech savvy, said Ran Wei, a professor at the University of South Carolina's School of Journalism and Mass Communications, who has studied the impact of new media technology such as wireless communication. "It's no longer about texting or calling," he said. "The phone is not just a phone. It's a mini computer." The Verizon debut has been much anticipated, largely because of the perception that AT&T has spotty service. Wei said that reputation seems to be deserved. He said he believes several groups of people will be attracted to the Verizon iPhone -- those who like the wireless network and those who wanted to switch brands. "The other (group) is people who are AT&T iPhone users and might have had a bad experience," Wei said. "It may be an opportunity for them if they are willing to break the contract or their two-year contract is up." Verizon spokeswoman Colleen Murphy said reports indicated that crowd turnout seemed to be similar at Verizon's other area stores as the Augusta Exchange location. Last summer, The Augusta Chronicle reported the Apple store in Augusta Mall had more than 250 people line up to get the iPhone 4, which was then sold exclusively by AT&T. Employees at the Robert C. Daniel Jr. Parkway store were ready for crowds. They had practiced everyone's roles the previous weekend and operations were going smoothly as customers filed inside in an orderly fashion after receiving a number and a list of accessories for the device. "We take customers very seriously and this launch very seriously," said store manager Timothy Wells. "We spared no detail." He said the company was prepared for the day, but could not comment on specifics such as how many devices had been shipped to the store. Many people said they lined up early because they wanted to make sure they weren't left out. "I thought they might sell out," said Nick Washington, who was first in line after arriving at 4:45 a.m. "I had to have it." To see more of The Augusta Chronicle, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://augustachronicle.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. |