iPhone Frenzy Sweeps Green Country

Is it a big movie premiere, a new video game console? No, it's not any of those. Customers lined up by the hundreds around Tulsa for the debut of Apple's new iPhone. News On 6 reporter Steve

Friday, June 29th 2007, 9:00 pm

By: News On 6

Is it a big movie premiere, a new video game console? No, it's not any of those. Customers lined up by the hundreds around Tulsa for the debut of Apple's new iPhone. News On 6 reporter Steve Berg went to the AT&T store to see the iPhone with his own eyes. He reports about a hundred people come through the store to get their hands on the iPhone, and that's one of the keys to the iPhone phenomenon, the touch screen.

The first campers started lining up at 6 a.m. Friday. He wasn't one of the first, but ready to part with some hard-earned cash was Sam Roop.

"Poor spelled backward, especially after today," iPhone customer Sam Roop said.

The iPhone does have a steep price tag, and it remains to be seen whether that's a turn-off, and whether people will be willing or able to switch to AT&T, which for now is the only carrier with the rights to the iPhone. But Roop is undeterred.

"It was either reinvest another $250, $300 in another smart phone to do what I needed it to do until January, or just go ahead and apply that toward a full-blown iPhone," said Roop.

The iPhone does give a good first impression. The screen is crystal clear and big compared to other smart phones, and it's definitely touchy-feely. The touch screen seems to have just the right degree of sensitivity, making it easy to scroll around, and it controls virtually all the functions.

"Y'know everything is touch, the screen is touch. There's really only one button on it other than the touch screen. It's just very easy to use, very user-friendly," AT&T store manager Mark Simone said.

The dimensions of the iPhone are very similar to most contemporary cell phones, about the same size and weight, and very thin. But it is jam-packed with features; itâ€™s a cell phone, iPod, and web browser all in one. Oklahomans were lining up to get one; in fact, there were even people in line who are not getting one.

"Can't afford one,â€ said Will Shipley. â€œI'm being paid to wait in line for someone who can."

"And how much are you getting paid to do this," asked News On 6 reporter Steve Berg.

"Twenty bucks an hour. It's not bad. If this takes a few days, I might be able to buy one myself," said Shipley.

The four gigabyte version of the iPhone will run you $499, and the eight gigabyte version goes for $599.

Watch the video: iPhone For Sale, Finally

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