"This phone is going to be a status symbol. If you're walking down the street with an iPhone, people will be looking at you," said Cat Schwartz, gadget director (really) for online auctioneer eBay Inc.
EBay expects to see iPhones for sale moments after they become available in stores at 6 p.m. tomorrow.
The iPhone's all-in-one nature is part of its appeal. It combines a cell phone, iPod music player, and camera, and it can play videos and access e-mail and the Internet.
It is not the only so-called smart phone to do all that. The hype comes from its reported ease of use. Instead of buttons, it has a touch screen. Its Internet browser allows for smooth Web surfing, unlike the clunky experience on other phones.
"Everything is so intuitive and so fluid," said Dan Steinberg, 21, a Drexel student who describes himself as "a big fan of Apple, and a big fan of gadgets in general."
He already owns a high-end Motorola Inc. phone and music player that retails for almost $300, but he plans to buy the iPhone as soon as he can.
He has watched video of the iPhone and hails its new capabilities.
"Here's a really simple example: You're listening to music, and you get a phone call. On the iPhone, the music fades out and you can answer the call and do other things. Then, when you hang up, the music fades back in," Steinberg said. "It makes so much sense when you hear about it, you think, 'Why didn't anyone else do that before?' "
With a starting price of $499, plus a required two-year contract from network provider AT&T Inc. that ranges from $60 to $220 a month, some experts have wondered whether consumers will shun the iPhone.
Jay Giller, 20, also a Drexel student, said the high price would keep him away from the iPhone even though he loves it.
"It looks absolutely cool," he said.
