Thousands line up outside Apple stores after iPhone release

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Thousands lined up at Bay area Apple stores Friday morning and some went home disappointed.

For some, it was the end of a very long wait. "I got here a little before 11 a.m. yesterday," Klaus Bandisch said.

Bandisch was first in line and knew exactly what he wanted and so did customers number two and three.

The competition was fierce. "A lot of people are here. I got here, there was like 30, 40 people in front of me already at 8 p.m.," Nate McKelvie said.

And the supply was short. "For the 6 Plus AT&T, I don't have the space gray, I have silver," one sales representative said.

Some Apple iPhone enthusiasts ABC7 News spoke with said they had anxiety because they needed their phones today.

From the very beginning it was clear, the iPhone 6 Plus was the star of the show, but when that star made a guest appearance on the sidewalk some people suddenly found themselves with a much tougher decision. "It's the first time they ever allowed people to use their demo products outside of the store," one man said.

A couple of people ABC7 News spoke with said the phone was huge. "After a while I wonder what the difference is gonna be anymore between a smartphone and a tablet device," Reuters reporter Christina Farr said.

Farr thinks the big phone really pushes the limits. She sees it finding a home in industry hospitals and warehouses, while consumers drift back to the smaller one.

Farr says all the initial excitement was caused by the cult of Apple. "Apple could almost produce anything and you'd see people lining around the block," Farr said.

But at least a few consumers were thrilled saying that they love the new phone and its size.

Apple stores are already out of the the iPhone 6 Plus at some stores.