Behind the 33-year-old social worker, a queue of more than 100 people snaked down 16th Street. By 8 a.m., 150 had gathered, waiting for the AT&T store at Ranstead Street to open its doors.

Each person in line wanted to be among the first to score the newest version of the iPhone 3G, a cheaper, faster version of Apple's blockbuster mobile phone.

Richardson set up camp at 11 o'clock last night. At 8:15 a.m., he emerged from the shop smiling and flashing his new prize.

"I'm very excited," said Richardson. "It's worth every bit of waiting out here."

He said he wanted the iPhone for the fast internet access.

"I'm moving up like the Jeffersons," Richardson said. "I'm leaving pre-paid alone and going to the iPhone!"

Tom Thi, 33, of Center City, only had been waiting since 5 a.m.

As he stepped from the store with his new phone this morning, a reporter asked what he was going to next.

"Go to sleep," Thi said.

The majority of the eager buyers of the new gadget had arrived just before dawn. Though there were plenty of others who had staked out a position in line late Thursday.

Jose Rodriguez, 28, had been waiting since before 12 a.m.

When asked if he were disappointed he wasn't the first in line, he shrugged.

"I enjoyed the company," said Rodriguez, of Northeast Philadelphia. "I didn't want to be out here alone at midnight."

John Street - the tech-crazed former Mayor who infamously waited in line for 15 hours last year when the first edition of the iPhone went on sale - was not to be seen this morning.

In Ardmore, customers are still waiting to get inside the Apple store to buy the device.

Greg Goodwin has been standing, sitting, squatting there since 6:45 a.m.

A little after 11 a.m., he'd inched his way, number 30 in line.

"I decided to come out here early. Obviously, it wasn't early enough," he said, with a laugh.

Behind Goodwin were more than 100 people, in a line that disappeared around the corner.