iPhone queues already!

[iCol]

There are queues forming outside The Apple Store on Regent Street, London already. Eek!

http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipod-itunes/news/index.cfm?newsid=19623

[emotion]

That's hilarious. These people should get lives.

I'm getting an iPhone tomorrow but I'm getting down there after work. I don't anticipate any more effort than that.

[koobcamuk]

be among the first people in the UK...

I already have one. Loads do. First official release iPhone owners. And losers at that!

[emotion]

Misquote alert!

:)

[Devil's Refugee]

That's very sad indeed. I don't expect the same level of queueing as there was in the States here. 4pm Friday at a push maybe, but not the day before.

[DaveTaylor]

Get a life much?

[alFR]

Pics please Macworld, or it didn't happen.... :)

[dombookpro]

I can confirm this story to be true. Although the phrase "queues forming" is possibly overstating it a little. I just popped down to Regent Street to, ahem, soak up a little pre-iphone release atmos - Hey, it's a dull cold lunchtime! What I am supposed to do with it?

Anyway, outside are a couple of fanboys in their early 20s - Both sitting on camping chairs, one with a MacBook. I expect they'll be the only ones until lunchtime tomorrow - However, after that point is anyone's guess. I'm gonna get there around 6:40 - I hope that there's loads of staff on, cos I've got me a hankering for one of those badboys.

d

[zed2]

I can confirm this story to be true. Although the phrase "queues forming" is possibly overstating it a little. I just popped down to Regent Street to, ahem, soak up a little pre-iphone release atmos - Hey, it's a dull cold lunchtime! What I am supposed to do with it?

Anyway, outside are a couple of fanboys in their early 20s - Both sitting on camping chairs, one with a MacBook. I expect they'll be the only ones until lunchtime tomorrow - However, after that point is anyone's guess. I'm gonna get there around 6:40 - I hope that there's loads of staff on, cos I've got me a hankering for one of those badboys.

d

did you snap any pictures?

[vendettabass]

i think these guys wanna be the ones to be shown on TV!

[SayCheese]

Having just had a look at this link from another topic, there are pics on here of the two people waiting for the iPhone outside the Regents Street Apple Store.

As they are not my photos I am not going to repost them.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6045798262

Oh and as you probably guessed you have to have Facebook to see the pics.

[TonyHoyle]

Even better, snap pictures on your iphone. Maybe offer to email it to them when they get theirs :D

[Devil's Refugee]

Whilst it's not really indicative of the populous, BBC have a poll asking whether you're buying the iPhone or not tomorrow. Less than 15% of 1,300 respondents say 'Yes', so hardly a reason to queue up the night before.

I agree that they're only there for the publicity angle, but it would be so funny for someone to turn up with an unlocked iPhone at the event before the doors open just to steal the limelight :D

[earthsick]

I wouldnt say this is sad since I waited online for over 12 hours on June 29th (First one to walk out of the store with one in Menlo Park NJ!). It is a fun atmosphere and I do not regret taking the day off to sit in a mall even though I could have walked in at 7:00pm and still gotten one. With that said, in the States we didnt know how many each store was going to have and assumed that they would sell out quickly. By now I would say its safe to say Apple has a more than sufficient supply for the demand in the UK/Germany/etc. If you are lining up, have fun. If you are not really a fanboy then just go whenever, you will get one.

[J@ffa]

Whilst it's not really indicative of the populous, BBC have a poll asking whether you're buying the iPhone or not tomorrow. Less than 15% of 1,300 respondents say 'Yes', so hardly a reason to queue up the night before.

But that's a BBC news poll, which is hardly representative. Run the same poll here, and while it'll be biased, you're not looking for a representative sample as you would in an opinion poll, you want pure numbers. I don't think you'll find any shortage of takers for at least most of their stock.

[alFR]

Actually, only about 90 people on here responded to the "UK buyers - where will you be" poll, so maybe demand won't be that huge even among the Mac faithful. Big, but not huge is my prediction for the queues - especially when you factor in the number of outlets selling the things.

[smr]

Whilst it's not really indicative of the populous, BBC have a poll asking whether you're buying the iPhone or not tomorrow. Less than 15% of 1,300 respondents say 'Yes', so hardly a reason to queue up the night before.


15%!! I think that is every reason to queue up the night before!!

UK poulation = 60 million (source (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=6))

15% of 60 million is 9 million.

With 1300 iPhone outlets (source (http://www.apple.com/uk/pr/2007/11/061107_iphone.html)), that is 6923 people waiting outside each outlet!!

[metoo6000]

15%!! I think that is every reason to queue up the night before!!

UK poulation = 60 million (source (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=6))

15% of 60 million is 9 million.

With 1300 iPhone outlets (source (http://www.apple.com/uk/pr/2007/11/061107_iphone.html)), that is 6923 people waiting outside each outlet!!

The beauty of false... :rolleyes:

[J@ffa]

Actually, only about 90 people on here responded to the "UK buyers - where will you be" poll, so maybe demand won't be that huge even among the Mac faithful. Big, but not huge is my prediction for the queues - especially when you factor in the number of outlets selling the things.

I guess, but plenty of people I know who don't even have Macs are waiting for this. I'm starting to side with you... big, but not huge, queues. I was at both the Leopard launch and the opening of Regent Street, and the latter was stupidly massive as anyone there will attest to. The cost of the iPhone is a factor though, and like you said, the number of outlets selling them. I guess us Macheads will queue at the Apple store just because, hell, even if the O2 stores nearby have no queues and plenty of stock :D.

[Devil's Refugee]

LMAO, 6000 people per store.

How many of the 6m residents give a ***** about the iPhone though. Numbercrunching is great when it means something. I hope you're not an analyst.....

[alFR]

1. The whole population of the UK isn't eligible to buy an iPhone (no credit card, under 18, etc.)
2. The whole population of the UK isn't interested in the iPhone (in another mobile contract, hate Apple, think it's too expensive, old and don't want "one of those newfangled mobile things" etc.).
3. The survey isn't representative.

Thus I think your estimate of 6000-odd people outside every store may be a little high. ;)

[DogcowUK]

I think smr was being "funny" chaps, you know "joking"... I don't think you needed to deconstruct his figures and prove he was wrong :rolleyes:

[koobcamuk]

Misquote alert!

:)

Sorted

[alexboy45]

They have been interviewed as well

http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/11208/12232/iphone-queues-begin-regent-street.phtml

[smr]

OK chaps I have improved my model! (I agree, it had flaws!)

This poll (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=380924) indicates the Apple Stores will be more popular (with 54% of day 1 sales). There are only 12 UK Apple Stores (source (http://www.apple.com/uk/retail/)).

So, 54% of the 9,000,000 (or 4.86 million) iPhones will be sold in the 12 stores, meaning each Apple Store will have 405,000 people queueing outside it! If each person takes up 0.5m, the queues will be over 200km long!!

[alFR]

Sorry, it has to be said: iTards. :)

[abrooks]

15%!! I think that is every reason to queue up the night before!!

UK poulation = 60 million (source (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=6))

15% of 60 million is 9 million.

With 1300 iPhone outlets (source (http://www.apple.com/uk/pr/2007/11/061107_iphone.html)), that is 6923 people waiting outside each outlet!!

And a lot of sources are saying that several HUNDRED thousand iPhones are in the UK.

[rushmere]

OK chaps I have improved my model! (I agree, it had flaws!)

This poll (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=380924) indicates the Apple Stores will be more popular (with 54% of day 1 sales). There are only 12 UK Apple Stores (source (http://www.apple.com/uk/retail/)).

So, 54% of the 9,000,000 (or 4.86 million) iPhones will be sold in the 12 stores, meaning each Apple Store will have 405,000 people queueing outside it! If each person takes up 0.5m, the queues will be over 200km long!!

Excellent work.

And with each person taking approximately 3 minutes to get served, that means the person at the back of the queue will have to wait approximately 2.3 years to get their iPhone.

Luckily for them, they could actually be first in line for the 3rd generation model!

[headspace]

I'm sorry, I will never understand the reasoning behind queuing like this. If Apple was releasing a one-off limited edition product then, it would make sense, but for something that will be permanently available... it just makes them look like idiots. It's not like they are gonna be the first in the country to get their hands on one either - maybe I'll travel up there with my unlocked US iPhone, stand right next to them and draw "YOU ARE DIVS" with the etch-a-sketch app.

I happened to be in NY for the Leopard launch. Out of curiousity, I turned up as they were opening the store and witnessed first-hand the hundreds of people queuing round the block in the pissing rain, plus the crazy high-fiving and woo-hooing that followed. It just made me understand the whole phenomenon even less. A couple of hours later I returned to the store to check my emails - the queue had gone, there were still loads of copies of Leopard on the shelves and I was still given a free T-Shirt!

[applemax]

Turns out they're both livebloggers from TUAW

[iguanarama]

I'm sorry, I will never understand the reasoning behind queuing like this. If Apple was releasing a one-off limited edition product then, it would make sense, but for something that will be permanently available... it just makes them look like idiots. It's not like they are gonna be the first in the country to get their hands on one either - maybe I'll travel up there with my unlocked US iPhone, stand right next to them and draw "YOU ARE DIVS" with the etch-a-sketch app.

I happened to be in NY for the Leopard launch. Out of curiousity, I turned up as they were opening the store and witnessed first-hand the hundreds of people queuing round the block in the pissing rain, plus the crazy high-fiving and woo-hooing that followed. It just made me understand the whole phenomenon even less. A couple of hours later I returned to the store to check my emails - the queue had gone, there were still loads of copies of Leopard on the shelves and I was still given a free T-Shirt!

You're trying to logically deconstruct something that isn't logical. For some people it's belonging, it's the RDF, it's exciting to be 'part of it', it's a community... it's a combination of all that. I like having parts of those qualities as well. They're happy (queueing), you're happy (going in later with no queue), so you don't need to rub their noses in it with 'you are divs' or equivalent. :) Horses for courses.

[Hustle]

Hope they got waterproof coats after the down poor we just had in London. :p

[applemax]

Hope they got waterproof coats after the down poor we just had in London. :p

Well - I've heard along the grapevine that the nice people at the Regent Street store has provided them with coats, umbrellas and a flask of coffee.

[CD3660]

OK chaps I have improved my model! (I agree, it had flaws!)

This poll (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=380924) indicates the Apple Stores will be more popular (with 54% of day 1 sales). There are only 12 UK Apple Stores (source (http://www.apple.com/uk/retail/)).

So, 54% of the 9,000,000 (or 4.86 million) iPhones will be sold in the 12 stores, meaning each Apple Store will have 405,000 people queueing outside it! If each person takes up 0.5m, the queues will be over 200km long!!
Love it. Very funny indeed! :D:D:D

[Stonie24]

just passed by Regents St store and the line is now up to 5 blessed souls. they tried to recruit me to be 6th. honestly thought about it for 2secs but its a bit too cold out there right now. told em to keep a space for me around 5ish tmrw.

also looks like cloud is giving the guy up front a free iphone. not sure if there is a consolation prize for the other die hards though....

[seedster2]

I'm sorry, I will never understand the reasoning behind queuing like this. If Apple was releasing a one-off limited edition product then, it would make sense, but for something that will be permanently available... it just makes them look like idiots. It's not like they are gonna be the first in the country to get their hands on one either - maybe I'll travel up there with my unlocked US iPhone, stand right next to them and draw "YOU ARE DIVS" with the etch-a-sketch app.

I happened to be in NY for the Leopard launch. Out of curiousity, I turned up as they were opening the store and witnessed first-hand the hundreds of people queuing round the block in the pissing rain, plus the crazy high-fiving and woo-hooing that followed. It just made me understand the whole phenomenon even less. A couple of hours later I returned to the store to check my emails - the queue had gone, there were still loads of copies of Leopard on the shelves and I was still given a free T-Shirt!


For the life of me I will never grasp standing in the rain for any of this mass produced products to be the first to have one. It's silly.

We know apple will be fully stocked. They never ran out in the states until Sunday except in California and we had more buzz than UK.

[vendettabass]

muggers know where to go for a free macbook tonight!

[dalvin200]

Is the Nik Fletcher is the queue the iLounger?

[Stonie24]

pics of the faithful 5 on this dude's site..

http://www.tomj.org/london-iphone-queuing.html

i wonder if they get to keep the umbrellas!!

[ynnoj]

Cool brellas.

[redgaz26]

my girlfriend was laughing her head off looking at those pictures!!!!!!!!!!

christ i thought you were bad she said:D:D:D:D

[metoo6000]

Wow.... I feel like Christmas is coming~ :D

[sparkyms]

I actually want one of those umbrellas, seems like far too much effort to get one though...

[CD3660]

....seems like far too much effort to get one though...
Too right! Do those nutters appreciate how cold it's going to get tonight?