Elliott Johns, of Boston, displays an iPhone 4S in front of an Apple Store location in Boston, Friday, Oct. 14, 2011. The faster iPhone with better software and an improved camera went on sale in seven countries Friday as hundreds of buyers camped out for hours to be among the first to get one.Chattanooga-area iPhone fanatics lined up as early as 5 a.m. to get their hands on the latest touchscreen iteration from Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple, which is in the midst of dealing with the death of its founder, Steve Jobs.
An average of 30 customers lined up at Verizon stores in the area, and between 50 and 75 customers arrived early to Best Buy at Hamilton Place to pick up their pre-ordered phones.
Sprint employees were tight-lipped about the launch of the phone - their first iPhone launch - but the Hamilton Place store and parking lot were busy as late as 9 a.m.
Though the cell-phone carriers said they had plenty of inventory on hand, some eager Best Buy customers were told that after the current limited stock was sold out, orders could take from one to two weeks to arrive.
For more, pick up a copy of tomorrow's Times Free Press.