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(NBC) - Though not as many as expected, literally thousands of customers still lined up early today for the latest smartphone on the largest network.

There was a line outside the Verizon store in Montgomery, Alabama but it was neither long, nor necessary just like it was at other stores nationwide.

And once inside, it wasn't unusual to see far more clerks than customers.

But still, some people were anxious to buy Apple's iPhone and switch to what many believe is a better network on Verizon.

iPhone user Njghamenia Woodson says "yes, because my phone does not work, period, here in Charlotte.?

Up until now AT&T had been the iPhone's exclusive carrier but some have long wanted Apple to offer it on another carrier because of AT&T's reputation for dropped calls.

So, now, it's Verizon's turn.

Suzanne Kantra of Techlicious says "I think that Verizon is very confident, they've said they're confident about their capacity to be able to to handle a huge number of people coming in and getting iPhones"

Verizon lags however in that its iPhones can't perform simultaneous voice-data functions and offers fewer overseas service than AT&T but has a big leg up with the ability to create a personal wi-fi hotspot.

Karen Schulz of Verizon Wireless says "that hotspot enables our customers to create a wi-fi cloud around them and connect up to 5 devices to that wi-fi cloud and take it anywhere they want to go"

In addition to in-store sales, pre-orders and online sales have industry observers predicting about one million iPhones to be sold in the first week alone.