Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

iPhone anticipation nears its zenith

What some bloggers are hailing as the "Jesus Phone" hits stores at 6 p.m. today.

By MADHUSMITA BORA
Published June 29, 2007

Calli Guzzi, 17, of Tampa, waits outside an AT&T store on Dale Mabry. Guzzi, who had been waiting since 9am on Thursday morning, was entertaining herself by listening to her iPod, reading a book, and talking on her cell phone. She plans on being at the store until Friday night when the iPhone goes on sale.
	[Times photo: Carrie Pratt]

When it comes to braving the odds to buy a hot gizmo, Cali Guzzi is a pro.

At just 17 years old, the Ybor City resident's resume for playing the techie wait game includes: two days in line to buy the Wii, a day and a half for the XBox 360, and 12 hours for the PlayStation 3.

Thursday morning, Guzzi carved another spot on that list as she began her vigil for the venerable iPhone at 9 a.m. No, she isn't an Apple junkie. She's holding the post for her sister's boyfriend, a self-proclaimed Apple addict.

"It's not bad at all," she said. "It's like being at the beach, and it has its own charm."

Armed with Red Bulls, cookies, mineral water and a can of Mace, Guzzi sat on a three-legged stool outside the AT&T store on South Dale Mabry Highway. Her iPod, Ayn Rand and a laptop will keep her company through the long hours, she said.

Guzzi was the first one at the location, and probably the only Tampa Bay area resident to begin the wait more than 24 hours before the launch. The device hailed by some bloggers as the "Jesus Phone" will hit the market at 6 p.m. today.

In New York City, Apple enthusiasts began queuing up on Tuesday. Mall officials at International Plaza in Tampa, which houses Apple's only store in the bay area, said they would allow lines to be formed at 7 p.m. Thursday.

But that didn't stop St. Petersburg tech fanatic Nick Starr from showing up at 10 a.m. By late afternoon, others were hovering outside the Apple store enquiring about the line, he said.

"I just wanted to make sure I get one," Starr said. "It's the best mobile phone ever."

What's feeding the frenzy? At least one expert says it's not just all about quality.

"Bragging rights," said Sriram Venkataraman, assistant professor of marketing at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. "The brag quotient goes up as soon as you are an early adopter of an Apple product."

Guzzi doesn't see herself buying the hallowed phone. But she believes in Apple products, she said.

"It's kind of good because it's almost like anti-Microsoft," she said.

Her long wait outside the store is expected to be punctuated by friends and family dropping by, bringing food and relieving her for bathroom breaks. If the vigil gets too lonely, she could relocate to the mall. But at least Thursday, the Dale Mabry location suited her fine.

"I am just glad I don't have to beat up people to be in the front," she said, laughing.

Madhusmita Bora can be reached at mbora@sptimes.com or (813) 225-3112.

[Last modified June 28, 2007, 23:06:40]