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Apr 12, 2001
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From Salt Lake City, UT (Thanks Ben)
We're not sure if the iPhone 3G S launch will require long waits in line like previous years. The fact that customers have been able to pre-order the new iPhone will certainly dampen the turnout in the morning. Still that's not stopping some (photo). One analyst predicts Apple will sell about 500,000 units this time around, about one half of the number sold on the launch of the iPhone 3G. Still, that number is twice as much as the sales numbers for the original iPhone's launch weekend.

One French company has already obtained an iPhone 3G S and done a disassembly on the device:


035328-iphone-3g-s-fully-disassembled1_500.jpg




Article Link: iPhone 3G S Launch Lines and Disassembly Photos
 
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Yahoo for Salt Lake City!
 
The iPhone is a nice upgrade, but not essential IMHO, unless your old one is giving out on you. But many people will likely get one. The larger memory, longer battery life, and faster processor are just a few of the new features that will be enticing many to buy one.

It is a welcome upgrade.
 
Looks like most sites are reporting shorter lines. A lot of people probably ordered online.

Maybe it is time for Apple to look at ways of bringing in more iPhone customers over the next year, through pricing or other models.
 
Looks like most sites are reporting shorter lines. A lot of people probably ordered online.

Maybe it is time for Apple to look at ways of bringing in more iPhone customers over the next year, through pricing or other models.

The only way Apple is going to bring in new customers is to have it on more than one carrier. Sooner or later the pool of available switchers to AT&T will not be there. This is not only true in the US, but around the world. The exclusivity deals have to end.
 
Yeah. This phone is surely not worth sitting in line. The people sitting in line probably already have an iPhone. At this stage, there won't be many new customers sitting in line. Surely MMS (which is on every phone) and a camera upgrade didn't convince people that wanted an iPhone to finally get one.

Pre-order online ftw.
 
The only way Apple is going to bring in new customers is to have it on more than one carrier. Sooner or later the pool of available switchers to AT&T will not be there. This is not only true in the US, but around the world. The exclusivity deals have to end.

Good point, its a shame there is no practical way of circumventing carriers and providing their own network. Maybe one day when there is WiMax or 4g or something covering as great an area as the phone network then Apple could create a skype type App that replaces the network. One Day.

I imagine that the reliance on the carriers and their inconsistencies must be Steve Jobs biggest headache (after his health).
 
The 3G-S is a hard sell for Apple this time round, mainly because the vast majority of the fanbase are still locked into 18-24 month contracts, and the expense of the 3G-S is an obstacle to new customers who don't see a vast difference physically between the 3G and 3G-S.

Don't get me wrong, I love the 3G-S but those mostly likely to appreciate the new features are those that are still under contract and unable to buy it without considerable expense buying themselves out of their contract.

I'm not surprised the launch queues are small this time round due to the above along with the fact that you can order online so there's less incentive to queue.
 
Its not so much lack of queue in the UK store I went to, but rather more efficient (O2's activation service doesn't seem to be failing) and more people getting PAYG which is easier and quicker to sell to the customers. It isn't the same size of the 3G launch, but then that had such a long build up, as Apple stopped selling handsets for weeks beforehand.

If you read the liveblog, there were 30 at Regent Street by 7am. I'd imagine the queue would have been even smaller if O2 had got its act together and had done pre-orders to ship today for PAYG handsets...
Free coffee, and cookies/croissants/pastries at the O2 store I went to - >30 waiting at 8am, with another 30 waiting at the O2 store round the corner.
 
Update: They've identified the chipset as the SoC S5PC100 from Samsung and thus confirm an ARM Cortex A8 running at 600 MHz (operates at up to 833MHz though) and the ability to record 720p video and handle real-time video conferencing should Apple choose to go in that direction (iPhone 3G S records VGA only). PowerVR SGX graphics and 256MB of RAM too as expected. S5PC100 block diagram:

samsung-s5pc100.jpg


System Board: Up Close

System board chips and part numbers can be seen below. Please view the comparison guide for more details.

CPU - Samsung
339S0073ARM
K2132C2P0-50-F
0N1480911
APL0298
N1TVY0Q 0919

NAND Flash Memory - Toshiba TH58NVG702ELA89
IA8816
TAIWAN
09209AE

System Memory - 337S3754
CMA
G0919
5Y9307885E4

Infineon - 36MY1EE
A9177314
Z171033B

iPhone 3G S system board is shown on the left, right board is iPhone 3G.

Click below for the full image:

 
Lets face it really isn't that much of an upgrade anyway and pre-order option means those that were gonna get it regardless already have
 
The UK iPhone 3GS has a MUCH smaller plug now
 

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At the store in Hastings, UK there were about 15 people queuing, I got there at about eight for a nine o'clock opening and was the second in queue (due to people milling around).

I now have the 1st 3Gs in town (bloke in front of me was sorting insurance through O2, so took longer). It is absolutely gorgeous.

In conclusion - yes, the queues seem shorter, and it doesn't seem like UK stores at least are selling out.
 
Its not so much lack of queue in the UK store I went to, but rather more efficient (O2's activation service doesn't seem to be failing) and more people getting PAYG which is easier and quicker to sell to the customers. It isn't the same size of the 3G launch, but then that had such a long build up, as Apple stopped selling handsets for weeks beforehand.

If you read the liveblog, there were 30 at Regent Street by 7am. I'd imagine the queue would have been even smaller if O2 had got its act together and had done pre-orders to ship today for PAYG handsets...
Free coffee, and cookies/croissants/pastries at the O2 store I went to - >30 waiting at 8am, with another 30 waiting at the O2 store round the corner.


Exactly the same in apple store southampton, and very few people went to the O2 store. Got mine by 9am :)
 
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