Apple fanatics in Gainesville couldn’t wait to get their hands on the new iPhone.
Lines began to form outside of some retail stores as early as Thursday, with hopes of purchasing an iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the newest editions to the line of the widely popular smartphone.
The smartphones went on sale today in stores such as BestBuy and AT&T.
Mark Anthony Ross was first in the line at the door of AT&T. He had been waiting since 1 p.m. yesterday to get an iPhone 6 Plus, which he intends to purchase because of the new camera and longer talk time.
“I heard there will not be so many 6 Plus [models] today, so I came early,” Ross said.
According to Krystal Williams, assistant manager of AT&T in Gainesville, they have been preparing for the sale for a week. She said they will start off with about 150 iPhone 6 and more than 50 iPhone 6 Plus in store, and anticipates selling them all by noon.
Having worked in AT&T for about three years, Williams has seen the release of the iPhone 4 and newer editions.
“I feel this one is the biggest so far,” Williams said.
Michael Bauer arrived at Best Buy at 4:45 a.m. today, neglecting to pre-order the phone a head of time. He owned an iPhone 5 for two years, and said he’s making the purchase to keep up with the latest model.
Selfless individuals, like Kraig Gregory, waited in line over 13 hours for someone other than themselves. Gregory, 43, was purchasing a 6 Plus for his wife.
“I feel great,” Gregory said after his purchase. “I feel I did something great for my wife.”
Unlike those eager to get the newest thing from Apple immediately, some have chosen to wait.
Shibei Ding, a graduate student at the University of Florida, currently owns a Samsung Galaxy S4. She decided to wait for a while before paying at least $199.
“I almost checked out online the other day,” Ding said, “But I want to touch the models of both iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus first before I decide which one I really want.”
Ding said her cousin in China has asked her to get one of the new models for him when she goes back to China.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will not be sold in Mainland China on Sept. 19.