Josh Kaplan waited in line for six hours when the iPhone came out in June 2007 and was able to get one the same day.
He wasn't as lucky when the iPhone 3G was released in stores on Friday.
The UF marketing junior was one of about 75 people who showed up at the Butler Plaza AT&T store Friday to buy the new iPhone.
Unfortunately for him, the phones sold out at about 10 a.m., an hour after the store opened, as sales associates informed hopeful shoppers who showed up too late.
The release of the iPhone 3G created another widespread consumer craze in the trend of purchasing the most innovative cell phone technology.
The new iPhone model runs on the 3G network, which allows faster Internet access -advertised by Apple to be twice as fast as the original iPhone.
Kaplan said after seeing the rush to get the first iPhone, he wasn't surprised he was unable to get the new one.
"I figured unless I was actually waiting in line before 8 o'clock, I wouldn't even have a chance," he said, regretting his arrival at about 10:30 a.m.
The line at the store started forming Thursday night.
Gretchen Schultz, AT&T spokeswoman, said stores in North Florida were depleted of their iPhone 3G stocks by noon.
The exact number of phones sent to each store was not released for "financial and competitive reasons," Schultz said.
Individual plans for the iPhone 3G and other AT&T phones on the 3G network range from $69.99 to $129.99 a month, excluding text messaging.
Even though the new plan is more expensive than that of the previous iPhone, the price of the new phone is less expensive, starting at $199.
"It's kind of a give and take," Schultz said.
Jonathan Paez, a sales associate at In Touch Wireless in The Oaks Mall, said the better the phone, the more expensive the phone and plan will be.
Paez, a Santa Fe College freshman, said the popular T-Mobile phones, the Sidekick and Blackberry, also require additional fees for the extra features.
He feels increased use of cell phones has led to the demand for newer technology.
"The past three years have been the most speedy as far as technology developments," Paez said.
In general, touchscreens, full keyboards and Internet access on cell phones are very popular now, he said.
Peter Kovachev, a sophomore at SFC, said he thinks having the iPhone makes you cooler, but he would only get one if his job required it and covered the expense.
Kovachev has a Sony Ericsson cell phone that he chose because it's supposed to play music, but he never figured out how to use more than the basic functions, such as storing numbers and text messaging.
"It seems too complicated, and there's a menu with all these pictures," Kovachev said.
Without his phone, he feels disconnected from everyone, but he said life would be simpler without it.
"If I didn't have to have one, I wouldn't," he said. "It's just another thing to worry about."
Reese Darlington, an economics junior at Florida State University, said most people buy the iPhone to say they have it rather than for the features.
Darlington showed up looking for an iPhone 3G at the Butler Plaza store Friday but was unable to find one during his visit in Gainesville. Darlington thinks the extra fees for the iPhone 3G are a rip-off and the phone is a fad.
"Technically, all you need a phone for is to call somebody," he said.
However, he still wants the phone because he travels a lot and thinks it offers better reception, as advertised by AT&T.
Kaplan returned to the Butler Plaza store Saturday and was told the best thing to do was wait about a week for his iPhone order to arrive.
He said having a cell phone with better technology is more convenient than carrying around a laptop.
"What I look for in a phone is the newest and most innovative technology I can get my hands on," he said.
Kaplan said he uses his phone for business, academic and entertainment purposes.
"Honestly, once you go iPhone, you can never go back," he said. "It changes your life."
