Long lines formed hours before many U.S. Apple stores opened Thursday, with diehards playing with their old iPhones to pass the time in temperatures approaching 100 degrees in many cities.
The iPhone 4's launch began in Japan and moved across France, Germany and the U.K. before going on sale in the U.S. at 7 a.m. in each time zone.
The phone's much anticipated rollout didn't go exactly as planned. Some customers complained of spotty service and technical glitches. Police had to be called for crowd control at several South Florida malls.
"Apple did a terrible job," said Jalen James of Harbor Island. "They have an app for everything except how to organize a line."
Lines ranged from several hundred to a few thousand. Those who didn't pre-order a phone were out of luck: Apple won't have any more new phones available until June 29.
Charlotte: Looking for an iPhone 4? The Apple store at SouthPark Mall, which unveiled the new iPhone today, says if you aren't already in line or have a reservation, you aren't getting one today. More than 1,000 people lined up this morning hoping to get one. Read the complete story at charlotteobserver.com
Fort Worth: After spending nearly 17 hours in line at the Apple store in University Park Village, 18-year-old Austin McLaurin of Aledo saw his dreams come true. McLaurin began as No. 43 in a line that wrapped around the east side of the shopping center along University Drive and into the Staples store parking lot behind. His line was for those who did not reserve Apple’s newest iPhone in advance of Thursday’s release. Read the complete story at star-telegram.com
Kansas City: Marc Huber of Kansas City, North, said that until Thursday he had never stood in line on the release date for the latest Apple product. But there is always the first time — and for Huber the product worth lining up for was Apple's newest release of the iPhone. Read the complete story at kansascity.com
Miami: Not everyone was happy early Thursday morning when the latest iPhone went on sale in retail stores. Thousands of die-hard fans who ordered the much-hyped iPhone 4 smartphone in advance and got it in the mail Wednesday complained about yellow spots appearing on their screens. And police had to be called for crowd control at several South Florida malls. Read the complete story at miamiherald.com
Raleigh: The object of desire, the new iPhone 4, was held up by Dharmesh Topiwala, of Cary, as he was the first to exit the store with the new device. "It feels good," he said admiring his new phone. "It feels good in my hand. It feels sturdy - like an Apple product." Read the complete story at newsobserver.com
Sacramento: Die-hard Apple iPhone fans were not going to be disappointed today as hundreds crowded the corridors of Arden Fair Mall hoping to get their hands on the long-awaited fourth model of the technological phenomenon. Scores of people arrived before midnight to stake a spot in what would become a frenzied line of iPhone toting Apple customers. More than 1,000 people stood in two separate lines this morning. Read the complete story at sacbee.com
Wichita: The official launch of the iPhone 4 created long lines in stores around the world Thursday but was decidedly low-key in northwest Wichita. Read the complete story at kansas.com