The wait was over for dozens of Knoxvillians when the Turkey Creek Verizon store opened its doors at 7:00 a.m. Thursday morning to sell Apple iPhones ending AT&T's monopoly of the smartphone.
The earliest customer arrived around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night. Overnight, cars in the parking lot were filled with others trying to stay warm while waiting. Tickets were handed out to secure eager buyers' place in line.
Verizon's launch of iPhone service has been greatly anticipated by consumers.
Analysts say Verizon could sell 2 million iPhones this quarter and 9 million this year.
CNN contributed to this report.