About 500 customers stood in line for the 7 a.m. opening of the Apple store at Ala Moana Center for the launch of the iPhone 4.

Rows of exuberant Apple employees hyped-up the crowd with adrenaline-stirring hoots, claps and even line battles of who could scream the loudest among customers with pre-orders and walk-ins.

“You guys ready?” shouted an Apple worker donned in the typical blue Apple T-shirt, bouncing from one line to the next.

Employees also handed out breakfast bentos from Sam Choy’s and water to the throngs of eager customers.

“Part of it is the hype,” said San Francisco resident Al Fong, 46, who is on vacation. “I get drawn into the Apple frenzy even though I’m not a self-proclaimed Apple guy. There are some guys that are just crazy about Apple.”

Geneve Lung, a 20-year-old Manoa resident, said “we’re iPhone junkies,” referring a group of friends, who were kicked out at around 6 p.m. yesterday after intending to camp at Ala Moana. “Definitely I can’t live without it.”