Local News

MIAMI (CBS4) ― South Florida iPhone fans were up early Friday morning to be one of the first to own Apple's new iPhone 3G S. The line outside of the Apple Store at The Falls Shopping Center stretched down the mall before the store even opened Friday morning. Lines were long outside of AT&T stores as well.

It's become a common sight. The first days that the original iPhone was on sale in June 2007 (and the iPhone 3G last July), lines at Apple and AT&T stores across the country snaked around city blocks, filled with both newbies and Apple's most loyal customers anxious to be the first to get their hands on the much-anticipated smartphones.

The lines for this upgraded iPhone aren't expected to be quite as long as previous launches for several reasons.

Some current iPhone owners are being forced to wait to upgrade by their carrier; the hardware update isn't as dramatic as it has been in the past; and there's the possibility that the novelty of line-waiting has worn off.

But lines were still long on Friday outside the Apple store on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. Ali Askari arrived before dawn to get his hands on the new phone.

"The early bird gets the worm, or in this case, the iPhone," Askari told CBS4's Jim Berry.

"You got babysitter fees you gotta pay," said Rick Velazquez, who stood in line early for the phone that he will use to promote his comedy act. "You gotta wake the babysitter up to come and get you and take care of the kids so that takes a little while."

Javier Garson said he walked over to the nearby AT&T store where there wasn't a line.

"I ran over there and they took care of me right away. No lines. And the best part of it, I got the Internet and I got the iPhone for free," Garson said.

AT&T's policy for current iPhone customers-which it altered slightly Wednesday-could be the biggest deterrent. AT&T customers whose contracts say they are eligible for a phone upgrade between now and September, and who pay at least $99 a month for iPhone service, will be able to buy the iPhone 3G S for the same price as a new AT&T customer: $199 for a 16GB model, or $299 for a 32GB model. But if you don't fall into either of those categories, you could be eligible for "early upgrade pricing" of $399 for a 16GB and $499 for a 32GB. The full price of the phone without signing a two-year contract is $599 and $699, respectively.

In other words, AT&T is making it prohibitively expensive for many customers who are in the habit of getting a new model iPhone every year. The reason makes sense-the carrier is subsidizing the cost of the new phone for those who sign contracts and doesn't want to do that every year-but it's likely to keep at least some of the most earnest and loyal iPhone customers away.

The other reason the crowds could be lighter this year is that the 3G S isn't nearly as big of a leap forward for Apple as in years past. The original iPhone was the single-most anticipated piece of consumer technology probably ever, and the iPhone 3G was a major upgrade in terms of hardware and network connection speed from the original iPhone.

The 3G S is faster and has better battery life, as well as some new features like video recording and voice control, but for many users it might not be as compelling an update. Plus, most of the features lacking in the iPhone and iPhone 3G can be corrected by downloading the new operating system, iPhone OS 3.0.

Another difference this year: Apple allowed customers to preorder the iPhone 3G S online for home delivery. Last year, customers were forced to go to an Apple or AT&T store to activate their phone.

Whether or not they come out in large numbers, it sounds like the process might be a bit more orderly this year. The iPhone 3G S was available for purchase at Apple and AT&T stores starting at 7 a.m. AT&T customers who preordered the device for in-store pickup could get their phones starting at 7 a.m. AT&T customers who didn't reserve one have to wait until 9 a.m. The iPhone will be sold on a first come, first served basis at all Apple stores.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

More Slideshows You Love

• Forbes Lists Stars Worth Their $$$
• Big Fame, Fake Name Celebrities
• Jessica Simpson: Then & Now
• 2008 Celebrity Deaths
• Lightning, Hail, and Flooding In S. Fla.