CNN Money reports that a paltry eight people were lined up before doors opened at Apple’s big glass cube in New York City this morning to get their mittened hands on the new Verizon iPhone 4. Those numbers are a stark contrast to the thousands who showed up in June when the AT&T iPhone 4 went on sale. That it was about 11 degrees with the wind chill probably had something to do with the sparse turnout.

Interestingly, none of the people interviewed on line were switching from AT&T. Two were already with Verizon, one was converting from MetroPCS, and the others were leaving T-Mobile. Will the big “ooh a bunch of AT&T customers are going to leave for Verizon” story end up failing to materialize? If so, it’s more a testimony to the successful obstacles for exiting – early termination fees, contracts, having to buy a whole new phone – the carriers have erected than anything else.

(The cold didn’t stop Verizon iPhone presales from selling out either).

Verizon iPhone draws small crowds [CNN Money]

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