Scott Ptak

Staff Photo by Allison Kwesell The new iPhone is sold at the AT&T store on Gunbarrel Road.

Scott Ptak pulled into the parking lot of the AT&T store on Gunbarrel Road at about 3:30 a.m. Friday. That devotion to rising early landed the Dalton, Ga., resident at the head of the line for the newest iPhone from Apple.

Mr. Ptak was among 35 people waiting to get their hands on the new iPhone 3G S when the store's doors opened at 7 a.m. When Apple upgraded to the iPhone 3G last July, he was three people away from getting into the store when it sold its last phone, he said.

"So I think probably male ego and closet geekiness brought me out to make sure that I would not be anything but the first thing in line this time," Mr. Ptak said.

The iPhone 3G S went on sale Friday morning at Apple and AT&T stores in the United States and in many countries around the world. The new phone promises a faster processor and the ability to shoot and edit video, among other upgrades.

Reports indicated customers also had camped out at the AT&T store in Dalton.

Unlike last year, when folks waited for hours in the heat, the line this year was pretty much cleared 45 minutes after manager Rob Payne let the first customers in the door. This year, customers could pre-order the phones beginning June 8.

"It made it easier this year because we were able to do the direct-fulfill orders," said Christine Dumas, assistant manager at the Gunbarrel store.

Lookout Mountain resident Gerry King was at the front of the pre-order line and planned to get the 32-gigabyte model of the iPhone 3G S. Mr. King already owned the iPhone 3G, and he even bought the first iPhone when it hit stores in 2007.

"It's become a key device for me," he said.

Tonja McCarver and Susan Nicholas arrived at 7:15 to trade in iPhones they bought last month. Both said they got there early to make sure they got phones. They also wanted to claim bragging rights.

"So we could be the first ones on our street to have one," Ms. McCarver said. "I love any kind of gadget. I get on these and play with them, and you can find just about anything you want."

Michael Land bought his first iPhone a few months ago so he could use it in his research and development job. He frequently travels internationally, and the iPhone works better than his laptop overseas, he said.

"I'm pretty much like every other guy," he said. "If there is a way to upgrade, I will bend reality to make it logical to upgrade."

Thanks to his determination to get there first, Mr. Ptak secured the phone he was waiting for -- a gift for his wife, Jeen. He hadn't told her where he was going when he left their house at 2 a.m. with her cell phone and laptop computer.

She found out where he was when she turned on the morning news at 6:30 and saw her husband sitting in a camp chair in the AT&T store parking lot.

"All she could do was laugh," he said. "And she said, 'I can't believe you sat there all night.'"

iPRICE

An iPhone 3G S with 16 gigabytes of storage sells for $199 with a new two-year AT&T contract; one with 32 gigabytes will cost $299. Since June 8, Apple has been selling the iPhone 3G model for $99, half its original price.

UNDER THE HOOD

What the new iPhone 3G S can do:

* Processor is up to twice as fast as the iPhone 3G.

* 3 megapixel camera can shoot video

* Built-in compass

* Voice control

* Comes preloaded with iPhone OS 3.0 software.

* Later this summer, as part of the 3.0 software, AT&T will make multimedia messaging available at no extra cost to customers with a text messaging package.

* Tethering capability will be available for iPhone 3G S and iPhone 3G.

Source: AT&T and Apple