It’s no surprise that as we await June 29th, the hype surrounding the iPhone has gone through the roof. Lines may very well wrap around stores, short supplies will cause waiters to riot, ok well not as dramatic but you do get the picture.

Arstechnica is reporting the same thing, long lines, long waits and limited supplies. No doubt if you’re a die hard Apple fan or really do need an iPhone you’ll probably line up opening day or even pitch a tent and make some friends.

Your plan of attack will vary depending on whether you go to an Apple or AT&T store. Luckily I was right by an Apple store and decided to ask an employee about the iPhone’s launch day.

This employee had managed previous launch events at various Apple stores and noted that for every event, lines went far out the store and start right by the entrance so as not to disturb other buyers. He also suggested coming at least 3 hours early to get a spot up front and to check in at 12PM at the earliest to see how the line will be structured. Also, as far as the manager of the store knew, they would be selling the iPhone with no contract so if you have an existing SIM card you’ll be able to pop it in and call away. The price for a 4GB model would be $499 and $599 for an 8GB model.

And to add my own word on it, bring enough money for tax and an 8GB iPhone even if you want a 4GB. There is nothing worse than waiting more than a couple hours in line only to be denied an iPhone because the cheapest model sold out. You should target an Apple or AT&T store inside a mall and not outside just in case you’ll have to wait long after 6PM. One last thing, call up local stores and see how they will be handling the iPhone launch, how many people are interested and how many iPhones are in stock.