[JohnTHaller]

You mean someone who spends days sleeping on the sidewalk in a tent to buy the new version of a pocket computer isn't buying based on analytical thought?

The thing is, I can understand staying up late and going to a midnight release of something like folks have done for a new Harry Potter book or a new Halo release. Following that up with staying up late reading the stories of the characters you already know to find out what happens next after waiting for a year. Or buying Halo with a buddy to head home and play the story in co-op for a few hours to have fun and see what the next chapter of the story is. With each of those emotion comes into play but for a reason and a purpose. But, in each case, you're satisfying a curiosity of what happens to a story/characters and you're spending no more than maybe 20 minutes of your time. Plus, you get to incorporate it into a fun evening with friends (having dinner and playing games for a couple hours before heading to the store to grab the game and coming back and playing for a couple hours). But, camping out for days to buy a new version of a pocket computer designed for consumption of content just seems silly.

[lnanek2]

A new smartphone enhances your capabilities, though. They are tools. So the guy waiting for a smartphone instead of waiting to see Harry Potter is going to come away from the experience with more capabilities than he had before. New entertainment like movies just wastes your time and money.

They are also powerful status symbols, like having an expensive Rolex. Someone who is first in their circle with a new iDevice is like a minor celebrity and gains attention and status. Depending on their position that can be converted to things like enterprise sales, intimate partners, etc..

[JohnTHaller]

The people in line for an iPhone 6 have an iPhone 5s with them. Nothing life changing is occurring at all. Someone buying a smartphone for the first time isn't camping out in line at the Apple store.

There is no difference in having an iPhone on day one vs day two in terms of social status or business status. And certainly not romantic status.

[collyw]

The iPhones that people queue for are usually incremental upgrades not "capability enhancing" devices.