Joe Alarcon, 31, didn't pre-order his phone. So he made sure to arrive early enough from nearby Fontana to ensure he would get his white 32GB iPhone 3G S. He was first in line for walk-ins, arriving at 4:30 a.m. to win the coveted spot. Not bad, considering some customers in New York and San Francisco queued up yesterday afternoon for primo placement.

Alarcon, who mentioned that his favorite app is , said he was excited about the 3G S's increased speed and video capabilities. "It's cool that you can edit video on the phone," he said.

Alarcon ended up replacing his 16GB 3G phone with a new 32GB 3G S, but he almost didn't make it to the store Friday. "I wasn't eligible to upgrade until August," he explained. He was pleasantly surprised when for upgrading early.

Caleb Burton, 33, and Mitch Bethurum, 37, drove from Redlands to get their phones, which they had sensibly reserved in advance. Both men said they were dropping their Verizon plans in order to make the jump to the iPhone. In Bethurum's case, the switch to a black 32GB iPhone 3GS would mean a substantial hike in his monthly cell phone bill. "I only pay $49 right now," he said. But he wasn't bothered by the new phone's $300 price tag.

"I've been holding on to a $100 gift card since Christmas," he said.