iPhone 4 launch day crowds

The line outside of the San Francisco Apple store at 5am. Consumers at the front of the line were beginning to break down their tents and sidewalk furniture.

Photo: McKinley Noble

Jony Ive, senior vice president of industrial design at Apple, seen leaving the San Francisco Apple Store on launch day.

Photo: Blair Frank

A proudly tattooed Apple fan shows off his new iPhone 4.

Photo: Blair Frank

Patient iPhone fans get comfortable in line outside of the midtown Apple store.

Photo: David Dahlquist

The crowd outside of the 5th Avenue Apple store in New York.

Photo: David Dahlquist

The Apple store at Westfarms mall in Farmington, CT opens its doors to the first of the Reservation customers.

Photo: Serenity Caldwell

Customers in the Farmington reservation line ponder the iPhone 4 catchphrase.

Photo: Serenity Caldwell

Neill Sachdev was the lone person in the Radio Shack queue across the aisle from the Apple Store in Farmington. Radio Shack still has up promotional materials for the iPhone 3GS. (Sachdev broke his White 3G iPhone last week—time for an upgrade!)

Photo: Serenity Caldwell

Sandy Pilares, sitting in her chair at the head of Apple’s standby line in Farmington, waiting to go in.

Photo: Serenity Caldwell

Ars Technica editor Jacqui Cheng and friends outside of the Chicago Apple store.

Photo: David Chartier

This Apple customer brought a foam mat for his overnight stay in line.

Photo: Blair Frank

Though nobody had taken her up on her offer yet, Chloe (left) remained hopeful outside of the San Francisco Apple store: “They just opened the store half an hour ago.”

Photo: Blair Frank

An Apple employee looks at the line from inside the San Francisco Apple store.

Photo: McKinley Noble

Krispy Kreme handed out free donuts and Starbucks served up free coffee to people in the San Francisco line.

Photo: McKinley Noble