People endure heat and lines for new phones

People started lining up at 3 a.m., the earliest allowed under city law. By the time the doors opened at 8 a.m. the line stretched all the way to the movie theaters, said Tiffany Correa, an assistant store manager. The store was scheduled to stay open until 11 p.m., but she said they wouldn't lock the doors until everyone waiting in line had been able to purchase a phone, customize it and hook up to e-mail service.

Good thing, since people kept adding to the end of the line all day long, most blissfully unaware of how long it was going to take.

"I heard it would take two, maybe three hours,'' said Maureen Marshall, 43, of Alameda, a loan servicing specialist who had the day off from her job at Wells Fargo Bank. "We'll see how long my patience lasts.''